While money has helped realign these incentives in the U.S.—intended parents can legally pay donors for their frozen eggs—cash compensation for DNA that could spawn a new human is an ethically questionable practice (hence its illegality in much of Europe). The financial incentive could exploit lower-income folks in difficult situations by convincing them to do something they’re otherwise not comfortable with; and variations in pricing for eggs from different donors implies that some eggs (and by proxy, some people) are more valuable than others.

And yet, it feels unrealistic and unfair to expect young people to go through a time-intensive, sometimes painful medical process and share their eggs out of sheer generosity, even if would-be parents covered their costs of doing so. But what if they could hold onto a few frozen ones themselves, free of charge, as a perk of donating the rest?

That’s the premise behind egg sharing, a hybrid model of egg freezing and egg donation that lies at the heart of new fertility platform Cofertility. Users who join Cofertility’s “Split” program can freeze their eggs and store them for free for up to 10 years, so long as they donate half to intended parents with whom they’re matched (who front the bill for all medical expenses associated with freezing plus the storage).

This kind of arrangement has gained traction in the United Kingdom, where it’s the legal alternative to buying eggs, but has, until now, only cropped up in a few fertility clinics stateside, including CNY Fertility, Oma Fertility, and Freeze and Share. Cofertility—which launched in October 2022 and officially began conducting egg sharing earlier this year—coordinates matches and facilitates the logistics with clinics nationwide.

How the Cofertility Split program solves for pain points in egg freezing and egg donation

By creating an incentive structure where saving some of your eggs for yourself is the “return” for donating eggs, Cofertility’s Split program aims to lower the financial burden of egg freezing and eliminate some of the ethical murkiness of cash-compensated egg donation. Together—as the “co” in the name implies—these changes may help more people have more autonomy over their reproductive choices, regardless of certain financial or biological realities.

On the egg freezing side, “we know that the younger you are when you do it, the more likely you are to be successful down the line,” says reproductive endocrinologist Meera Shah, MD, a Cofertility medical advisor. Yet young people are the least likely to be able to afford it, says Cofertility co-founder and CEO Lauren Makler. After all, it costs, on average, $11,000 for one egg freezing cycle, $5,000 for the medication involved, and $500 per year for storage, according to FertilityIQ. Can’t front those costs? You’d typically need to speed up your pregnancy timeline or wait until you could afford to freeze eggs, when it may be less effective.

With Cofertility’s Split program, “you can preserve your fertility now, for free, while also pursuing other goals, whether you have massive career ambitions, or maybe you want to have three kids but you’re not going to start until you’re in your mid-thirties,” says Makler.

It’s important to note, however, that egg freezing is not an insurance policy nor a guarantee of future fertility. Not everyone is considered a candidate for freezing, either (more on that below). The retrieval itself can also cause unpleasant side effects like bloating and cramping. And though it’s becoming increasingly common—the number of people who froze their eggs jumped by 31 percent from 2020 to 2021—there’s still not enough data to determine the potential risk for long-term complications from the egg retrieval process (which involves stimulating the ovaries with hormones to produce many mature eggs at once).

Additionally, it’s possible that some young people may not see the benefit of going through with it—that is, self-administering hormone shots, attending several doctor’s appointments, and doing the retrieval procedure—even for free, particularly when they have plenty of fertile years ahead of them to conceive naturally.

But for people who plan to wait until later in life to have kids or who have reason to suspect fertility issues down the line, the opportunity to freeze now at no cost (to them) may feel entirely worth it. That was the case for Cofertility member Sara A., who’s 26 and planning to delay pregnancy, and whose mom experienced early menopause at 42. “It provides some comfort and mental space knowing that my young, hopefully healthy eggs are safely stored for later,” she says.

“So much of [cash-compensated egg donation] is rooted in someone selling their eggs for a particular price versus doing something nice for someone else.” —Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO, Cofertility

That motivation also helps broaden the pool of potential egg donors for Cofertility’s intended parents, as it could appeal to those who might’ve felt skeeved out by the typical cash incentive—much like Makler once was herself. She initially looked into getting eggs from a donor after learning that she had a rare abdominal disease at age 28 that could affect her fertility. “I couldn’t believe how icky and transactional and outdated it all felt,” she says. “So much of it is rooted in someone selling their eggs for a particular price versus doing something nice for someone else.”

To her point, egg-donation advertisements have traditionally touted high-value paychecks and all-expenses-paid vacations as the perks of donating. Rarely do these advertisements reference the medical process of egg retrieval itself or the significant commitment of sharing your DNA with strangers. Not only do these kinds of misleading ads pose the ethical problem of potentially persuading those who aren’t comfortable with donating to do so for the money, but also, according to Makler, they may even dissuade those who might otherwise be keen to donate from doing so.

“One of the biggest problems in egg donation is a major lack of diversity among donors,” says Makler, which disadvantages plenty of intended parents by limiting the options they have to build their family. “We believe that’s because payment can be off-putting for a lot of women, making them feel like they’re selling their eggs,” she says, rather than getting compensated for their time and effort. There’s a fear that they’ll be judged by loved ones, she adds, who might wrongly assume that they’re exchanging a part of their body for money, presumably out of greed or financial desperation.

Reinforcing that narrative is the fact that traditional egg donation places a monetary premium on eggs from certain kinds of donors. Typically, that’s been people of a specific heritage or education level (e.g., “smart Asian women“), or even with particular talents or high SAT scores, adds Makler. “The fact that one woman could essentially cost more—rather, her eggs could cost more—feels super unethical,” she says.

In erasing cash compensation from the equation and providing the same benefit to all donors, the Cofertility model avoids commodifying the eggs of donors and gives intended parents the comfort of knowing that the eggs they’re receiving are from someone who genuinely would’ve wanted to freeze their eggs for themselves (and who isn’t just agreeing for the money).

Admittedly, the chance to freeze your own eggs at no cost can also reflect a major economic savings—and it’s possible that some donors may still be persuaded to donate for that reason. After all, there’s no incentive structure that doesn’t place some value on the eggs donated. But still, the setup of the Cofertility Split program ostensibly precludes any decision based solely on the monetary upside, says co-founder Halle Tecco, with its purposefully thorough process for onboarding, screening, and connecting donors with the intended parents they stand to help.

Cracking the medical and ethical logistics of egg sharing

Though people often address egg freezing rather flippantly (“Just freeze your eggs!”) and ads for egg donation would have you think it’s quick and easy, both processes involve a substantial investment of time and energy and carry significant future implications. Particularly with egg donation and sharing, you’re giving your genetic material to a stranger, which can have a life-altering impact on you, them, and (naturally) the potential future child. In order to ensure an ethical result, the process for egg sharing with Cofertility Split involves a good deal of screening.

As a baseline, only uterus-having folks who meet all the recommendations from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) for egg donation will qualify for Split to both ensure the safety of all people involved (including a potential future child) and help avoid the scenario where someone freezes their eggs with the intention of donating half of them and only winds up with, say, one or two eggs getting successfully retrieved.

For the sake of the former, every Split member has to complete a medical history and genetic screening to show that they have no markers of hereditary disease (which could make their way to a child) and have a psychological evaluation to demonstrate that they fully understand the gravity of the decision they’re making, says Tecco.

And in terms of the latter, hopeful Split members need to be under 34 years old and undergo a test for anti-müllerian hormone, (AMH), “which helps us understand a person’s egg supply or ovarian reserve, and whether they’re likely to get enough eggs that they can split and have a meaningful outcome,” says Dr. Shah. While you can’t guarantee good egg yield (even a healthy, young person might have low-quality eggs or not respond well to hormones), she adds, “I think we’ll find that the vast majority of women have outcomes that correlate well with what we’ve predicted.” Those who don’t qualify can still participate in Cofertility’s “Keep” program and freeze eggs just for themselves—but they’ll have to pay for it in this case (though the company has partnerships with clinics and storage facilities to lessen that price).

“So many intended parents today are really focused on finding a connection with a donor rather than just buying eggs.” —Makler

When a person does qualify and is accepted onto the platform for Cofertility Split, they’ll fill out a profile with all sorts of intel about who they are, what they do and like, and their personality—purposefully detailed to humanize the process of matching. This way, intended parents can “see more than a potential donor’s physical attributes,” says Makler. “They can learn about their values and their motivations and what their ambitions may be, and whether they’re an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert, and so on,” she adds. “It’s about getting to the core of who these women are because so many intended parents today are really focused on finding a connection with a donor rather than just buying eggs.”

Naturally, some intended parents might care less about personality and be more interested in connecting with a donor who looks like them, comes from their same ethnic or religious background, or has particular physical traits—which is why Cofertility Split members also share these details in their profiles.

The idea behind the platform’s universal exchange is to generate a highly diverse group of donors in order to serve the interests of as many different intended parents as possible. “Choosing a donor is a deeply personal decision,” says Makler, who says she’s seen the full gamut, from folks eager to choose someone based on the way they write their profile answers or because they share the same favorite movie to those who make a decision based on an uncanny physical similarity. “By the time you’re even coming to that decision, you’ve often been through so much—whether it’s multiple rounds of failed IVF or pregnancy losses or illness,” says Makler, “so we really try to hold space for whatever feels right.”

That experience is mirrored on the donor side, too, as any donor selected by intended parents will get information about that family and can choose whether to opt into the match. “That double opt-in is pretty unique,” says Tecco, “and gives the donor the chance to consider, ‘Who is this family that I’m going to donate to, and could I envision sharing my DNA with them?’”

This matching process opens the door for some version of a relationship between donor and intended parents (and perhaps, eventually, between donor and donor-conceived child), which is quite a departure from the norm. Traditional cash-compensated egg donations function more like a one-and-done transaction, with the egg donor typically remaining anonymous—which recent research suggests isn’t in the best interest of the donor-conceived child (and eventual adult).

“A lot of donor-conceived people may have questions when they grow up about where they came from, or their medical history, or their biological relatives.” —Halle Tecco, co-founder, Cofertility

“What we’ve learned is that a lot of donor-conceived people may have questions when they grow up about where they came from, or their medical history, or their biological relatives,” says Tecco. Knowing the nature of their conception before those questions arise is a good thing. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that all donor-conceived people will want to have a relationship with their donor, but it means having access to that information can feel a lot less troubling or traumatic down the line,” says Tecco.

For that reason, Cofertility encourages donors and intended parents to have a disclosed relationship (aka non-anonymous), and can even set up a virtual meeting for matches to get face time before deciding whether to formally pair. “I’m grateful that I moved forward with a direct connection [with my donor],” says Lisa F., 44, a cancer survivor who began her search for an egg donor after multiple unsuccessful rounds of IVF. “A total stranger just felt familiar to me, and our connection was magical.”

Sara was a bit more apprehensive going into her own match meeting with the intended parents to which she’ll be donating, but “the more I thought about adding a layer of transparency to the process and for the potential future kid, the more I liked the idea,” she says.

Certainly, not every donor or intended parent will want to meet either the family to which their eggs will go or the person supplying them, respectively—and that’s okay. The goal is just that all parties involved can have a say in the relationship or lack thereof, says Tecco. “When we set out to build this, we really just wanted to honor the donors, the parents, and ultimately, the children that we’re helping bring into this world.”

Black and brown birthing people face the brunt of these risks. Statistics show that in 2021 (the latest year for which data is available), the Black maternal death rate was 2.6 times higher than that of white people. This racial disparity has long been the case—even among patients with similar education and socioeconomic factors—and when the maternal mortality rate rose sharply in 2021 (partially due to COVID and its ripple effects on hospitals), the increases were especially prevalent among Black birthing people.

This begs the question: How do we fix this tragic trajectory?

There are several channels working in parallel path to strike positive, life-saving change. From maternal care in and out of the hospital, to research and better diversity education within medical schools, multiple channels are trying to improve the dire and completely lacking state of healthcare for Black birthing parents.

Midwives and doulas can bring a more holistic approach to maternal care

It is well-documented that doulas and midwives can positively impact birth outcomes for many, especially people of color who need advocates in the delivery room. While doulas can provide emotional support and assistance before, during, and after labor, midwives combine medical expertise with a patient-centered approach.

According to Saonjie Hamilton, CNM, the lead midwife for Oula Health, a New York City-based midwifery clinic, “Midwives are licensed medical professionals who take a more holistic approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care.” Midwives don’t just focus on the labor, but the birthing person as a whole. Their work goes beyond test results: Midwifery often takes into account social determinants of health—like family support, access to nutrition, the stability of a patient’s housing situation, implicit bias, and partner violence (homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant people)—and they build relationships that aren’t often forged in a typical seven-minute obstetrics visit.

Midwifery can be a standalone practice, or part of interprofessional collaboration with physicians, nurses, dietitians, and even social workers. Though they can’t perform C-sections, midwives can collaborate with other physicians in hospital settings if complications arise.

Particularly in parts of the country that are considered “maternal-care deserts,” midwifery has been called the answer to offering more care for low-risk pregnancies. Counties classified as deserts are those that have zero birthing centers, obstetricians, or nurse midwife access. And they are unfortunately quite common. A 2022 March of Dimes report shows that 1,119 counties in the US are considered deserts, affecting 6.9 million women. These areas overlap with ones that are known for poor outcomes for birthing people and their babies.

For a little history: Prior to the 1920s, Black midwives were the standard for prenatal care throughout the South for Black pregnant people. When laws were enacted that prevented them from practicing without a license or medical education, obstetrics—mostly led by white men—became the norm. Today, only eight percent of births are overseen by midwives.

Medical schools are training providers more intentionally

According to 2018 data, 68 percent of OB/GYNs are white, and 43 percent are men. Even leadership roles in universities are more likely to be held by white physicians. This is why some universities are actively encouraging and fostering the careers of future doctors from diverse backgrounds.

Patients of color often feel better having practitioners who look like them, but studies also show that there are merits to racial concordance that extend to infant survival. Racism has been built into medical care, and many doctors still believe in biological differences between Black and white bodies. For instance, one 2016 study even showed that some doctors believe that Black people have thicker skin and feel less pain.

Of course, doctors don’t necessarily need to be the same race as their patient to provide them with quality treatment. But more equitable care does require providers of all backgrounds to be aware of how implicit bias can show up in a doctor’s notes, tests ordered, and patient communication. This is why public health expert Tiffany Green, PhD, is launching a class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that teaches medical school students about racial disparities in healthcare. “I can’t tell you how many doctors, including obstetricians, are just now learning about reproductive health disparities,” she says. “So I’ll be teaching what is probably one of the first, if not the first, medical school classes on race and obstetrics in American obstetrics and gynecology.”

Dr. Green emphasizes that surviving pregnancy and childbirth shouldn’t just be the responsibility of the pregnant person, and that often the disparities begin before conception. She explains that history is rife with examples of Black and brown, and even Irish, bodies being used solely for the advancement of gynecology: They were treated as test subjects instead of people, and often without anesthesia. “When we’re talking about the solutions to this problem, and asking universities to be a part of promoting evidence-based solutions to this problem, start with a true acknowledgment of why this problem exists,” she says. Med students in her class will gain an understanding of this long history of doctors ignoring Black women’s pain.

University-led research can highlight where interventions are needed

Last year, Tufts University launched The Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice. This center is a part of its medical school, and as one of a handful of universities looking to close the maternal health gap, is focused on researching the racial disparities that continue to feed it. Similarly, health equity researcher Rachel Hardeman, PhD, founded the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity at the University of Minnesota. She has conducted extensive research on birth outcomes in heavily policed areas, and on racial concordance of doctors and birth outcomes for Black babies.

“By establishing and prioritizing centers for maternal and infant health research, policy, and birth equity, dedicated funding can help close the maternal and infant health mortality gap through targeted, evidence-based interventions,” says Quantrilla Ard, PhD, PMH, a maternal and infant health advocate, who adds that from education comes quality, empathetic care.

Government is aware, but legislation takes time

With a problem of this magnitude, you’d expect the government to get involved as well. And there are some strides being made. The Black Maternal Health Caucus in Congress is bringing the concerns of Black parents to the forefront and inspiring legislative action, like the recently reintroduced Momnibus Act, made up of 12 individual bills that target Black maternal health equity through efforts around affordable housing and transportation, mental health care, nutrition, and support for women in prison.

“Other proposed legislation such as the Build Back Better bill and Maternal Care Act all work together to build the infrastructure necessary to reduce and eliminate maternal and infant morbidity and mortality,” Dr. Ard says. She believes these strides will start to change the systems that put Black birthing people and their babies at risk.

Yet it’s anyone’s guess when this legislation might kick in, if it ever does. So in the meantime, nonprofit organizations like the Black Mamas Matter Alliance are shifting cultural understanding of the issue so that more Americans are aware of the problem and can start making noise about its dire consequences.

Altering the trajectory of the birthing experience will require changes in all areas of healthcare. Working together is imperative. Fixing health and, specifically, birth disparities, must touch every level of our society, from the government to the very classrooms where future frontline medical staff are trained.

On the day of my appointment, I waddled into the maternity ward in no hurry and with no incident. I was given Misoprostol, to “ripen” my cervix. Later, I had a Foley balloon inserted to help dilation and I got an IV to administer Pitocin, a hormone that causes uterine contractions. After 12 hours, six loops of my labor playlist, one last-minute epidural, and maybe a little swearing, I was holding my happy, healthy baby girl. I gave the whole experience an A-plus.

So, when I was pregnant with my second, I started planning for another induction. But by then, I’d made a wealth of mom friends, and when I mentioned my plan, their reactions were mixed.

Some raved about their own elective inductions, saying it was a safe way to get peace of mind about where and when they delivered. Plus, they talked about how inductions helped avoid fetal risks that are more common later in pregnancy.

Others couldn’t believe I would sign up to be induced. One said that the process increased the chances of a caesarian section, while another said her induction was much more painful than her other births. “Why not just let the baby come when she’s ready?” my friend asked with a shrug. “She’ll know when it’s time.”

I wasn’t sure what to do. My first induction went smoothly, but after hearing horror stories from other moms, I wondered if I’d just been lucky.

Why inductions get a bad rap

The truth is, inductions have had a bad reputation for years. For one thing, my friend’s claim that induction caused higher rates of c-sections was a widely accepted theory for decades. Research from the 1970s, and even into 1999 and 2000, seemed to connect induction with the invasive surgery. However, a 2013 study found that the previous research failed to account for birth complications. Inductions, it turns out, actually help avoid c-sections.

Another long-standing concern is that induction could affect the health of the baby. While many people are pregnant for 40 or 41 weeks, elective inductions are widely available starting at 39 weeks gestation, which is considered full-term. However, some worry that not giving the fetus those extra days, or weeks, in the womb could be detrimental to its health.

But the often-cited ARRIVE trial, which was published by the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018, found that delivery at 39 weeks did not increase complications for babies. In fact, letting a pregnancy go into post-term (42 weeks or later) is associated with a number of risks for the fetus, including stillbirth, meconium aspiration (when the fetus has their first bowel movement while in the womb and ingests it), and decreased amniotic fluid (which can lead to a restricted flow of oxygen to the fetus).

Obstetrician Lauren Beaven, MD, FACOG, of Axia Women’s Health in Lexington, Kentucky, explains, “Fetuses at 39 weeks have reached maximum development of their lungs and brains, meaning that waiting until 40 weeks or after does not improve newborn respiratory capability, feeding, or temperature control. Babies born electively at 39 weeks have developed to their full potential and past 40 weeks this does not improve any further.”

She notes that risks increase for babies born before 39 weeks but explains that elective inductions shouldn’t be performed before that point anyway. Any induction performed before full term would only be done out of medical necessity. “We expect that respiratory temperature and feeding behaviors may be less developed in those [premature] babies, but the benefit of delivering them due to medical complications of the pregnancy outweighs those risks,” she says.

Another common worry is that inductions make labor more painful. However, in one study, parents who were induced reported less pain during labor and claimed they felt “more perceived control during childbirth.”

The real risks of inducing labor

There are some rare risks to induction. For one thing, it doesn’t always work, which could mean another induction or even a c-section. Some methods of induction can increase the risk of infection. Plus, induction increases the risk that the uterine muscles won’t properly contract after birth, which could lead to heavy bleeding after delivery.

Sometimes Pitocin, which is often given during induction, can cause the fetal heart rate to drop, though Dr. Beaven shares that this can also happen during spontaneous labor. “If this occurs with Pitocin, the medication can be turned off and there are methods that are used immediately to try to bring the baby’s heart rate back to normal,” she explains.

Figuring out what’s right for your birth plan

Even with these risks in mind, I felt sure that another induction would be safe, and even beneficial. But I wondered if it was truly my preference. Lots of parents talk about the convenience of going through the early stages of labor at home. And because I didn’t want to leave my clingy toddler with grandparents for days and days, I even considered a home birth.

Tara Kenny, a certified professional midwife, certified lactation counselor, and doula based in Boston, acknowledges that there are many benefits to inductions. However, she doesn’t want pregnant people to feel unnecessarily pressured to induce.

“The ARRIVE trial has kind of tipped a lot of providers into the camp of ‘let’s induce people earlier’ because they tend to have fewer complications,” she says. “But I don’t think it’s fair or appropriate to say that to every pregnant person. I think that it should be more of an informed choice.”

Kenny adds that while a medically-indicated induction can be life-saving for those who need it, she hopes pregnant people know that most people who wait for spontaneous labor have perfectly healthy births. “I think that we’re losing sight of the fact that, statistically speaking, it’s normal to be pregnant up until 41 weeks and a few days,” she says.

She adds that while studies show that induction can provide a safer birth experience for the parent and baby, the statistical differences are marginal. One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016 revealed that the women who were induced had 3 percent fewer c-sections than those who weren’t. So, while inducing may benefit some, it’s not a cure-all.

“I think as a midwife, it is our responsibility to present all the information and ultimately let the patients be the one to decide,” Kenny says.

“It is our responsibility to present all the information and ultimately let the patients be the one to decide.” —Midwife Tara Kenny

Physician William Grobman, MD, MBA, the lead researcher on the 2018 article “Labor Induction versus Expectant Management in Low-Risk Nulliparous Women,” echoes Kenny’s claim that, with the margin being so small, it should be about the pregnant person’s preference. “I feel very strongly that people should have the option to induce or not induce and that this should be a person-centered decision,” he states.

When it came to delivering my second daughter, I didn’t have a chance to decide on induction or not. At 37 weeks I was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy and is remedied by giving birth. My induction was started within the hour. Once again, I was administered Misoprostol, I had a Foley balloon, and got Pitocin. The induction methods were the same, but this time, labor seemed much harder and lasted twice as long. My epidural fell out twice and I spent the whole time nervous about my blood pressure. But all turned out well, and in the end, I got to hold my new baby girl. I give it an A-plus.

One reviewer wrote, “Ladies if you aren’t drinking red raspberry leaf tea when you have your menstrual cycle you are missing out.”

While another said, “Raspberry leaf tea for cramps 10/10!”

I thought I had finally found something that could make life during my period a little bit easier.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the magic cure that I was hoping for. For two cycles, I would drink one or two cups of raspberry leaf tea the day before my period was due, two to three cups during the first day of my period and another two cups the following day.

And I didn’t notice any noticeable reduction in period cramps at all. Truthfully, I was gutted. I felt that social media had lied to me… But had it?

Where does the concept come from?

“Raspberry leaf is a herb that is spoken of in the midwifery community as a uterine tonic or a uterine purifier and this comes from a lot of oral tradition passed down and then spread into the community,” says Kristin Mallon, CNM, RN, a board-certified nurse midwife and co-founder and CEO of FemGevity Health.

There’s evidence to suggest that raspberry leaf tea has been used for at least two centuries as a uterine tonic and for use during pregnancy and labor. However, Tracy Malone, ND, a fertility naturopathic doctor and director of nutraceuticals at Bird&Be, explains that the available evidence on the efficacy of red raspberry leaf tea—whether for monthly cramps or for labor and pregnancy—is inconclusive.

Purported raspberry tea leaf benefits

Despite a lack of scientific evidence, many people online shout about the benefits that raspberry leaf tea can offer your uterus. In addition to easing menstrual cramps, the main ones include:

More efficient contractions and labor

“Red raspberry leaf tea contains fragarine, an alkaloid that may help to tone the muscles of the uterus, including the smooth muscles responsible for contractions during labor,” Dr. Malone says. “Strengthening these muscles may promote more effective contractions during labor, helping shorten the duration.”

A 2001 study found that women who consumed two raspberry leaf tablets from 32 weeks up until labor had a shorter second stage of labor (by an average of 9.59 minutes) compared to the women who did not.

Increased cervical ripening

In addition to shortening the second stage of labor, raspberry leaf tea is said to have an effect on cervical ripening. “The tea contains tannins that may help to soften and prepare the cervix for labor, making it easier for the cervix to dilate and efface,” Dr. Malone explains.

There is only a little evidence to back up this claim, but one 1999 study did find that women who consumed raspberry leaf tea were less likely to need a cesarean, forceps, or vacuum birth.

Easier postpartum recovery

According to Dr. Malone, there are also some claims that raspberry leaf tea can help with postpartum recovery. Some say it may help through strengthening the muscles of the uterus after childbirth, and some say it can reduce postpartum bleeding. Unfortunately, more research is needed to see if there is any scientific truth to these ideas.

Is it safe to drink raspberry leaf tea?

The good news is that raspberry leaf tea is completely safe to drink, according to Dr. Malone. While there is limited research to support the claims of benefits for your menstrual cycle and labor, no adverse effects have been reported.

However, if you are pregnant, you should speak to a healthcare professional first. Many midwives will advise against drinking this tea in early pregnancy since it can stimulate the uterine muscles, which could potentially cause a miscarriage or complications. However, they may recommend that you start from 37 weeks onwards, as you get much closer to your due date.

Also, raspberry leaf tea can cause stomach upset and other unpleasant symptoms if taken in excess (more than one to three cups a day).

The bottom line: Speak to your doctor before trying it to make sure it won’t interact negatively with your body and any medications you’re taking. And don’t overdo it.

So why is it making the social media rounds?

While it’s clear that some people feel they benefit from drinking raspberry leaf tea, it’s fair to say that it does not work for everyone. So, what’s making the difference? Dr. Malone believes that it could be a placebo effect.

“I only recommend it to my patients if it’s clear to me they believe it is going to work for them, then I will get on board with what they already believe is true for themselves,” she explains. “The mind is very powerful and can be a useful ally in pregnancy and labor.”

Even though the research is limited, Dr. Malone says the plant itself is rich in nutrients and is a good source of many vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium. Therefore, even if it does not offer the outcome you were hoping for, you can feel reassured that you are at least consuming something that’s good for your health, in one way or another.

In the wake of countless unnecessary deaths, the Black Maternal Health Caucus in the House of Representatives introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in 2021 as a way to tackle the pervasive drivers of maternal mortality in the United States.

Yet in that session of Congress, only one of the 13 bills included in it passed (the Protecting Moms Who Served Act). So on May 15, 2023 (the day after Mother’s Day), the Black Maternal Health Caucus, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate reintroduced the Momnibus act in hopes of passing the remaining 12 bills.

These bills range in focus, but they all seek to better the maternal health landscape. “The Momnibus Act covers a wide range of issues related to maternal health, including social determinants of health, access to care, workforce diversity, data collection, mental health support, and more,” explains Salma Mohamed, research lead of the Mama Glow Foundation, an organization fighting for reproductive justice through education and advocacy. “It recognizes that improving maternal health requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the underlying factors driving the maternal health crisis.”

“Improving maternal health requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the underlying factors.” —Salma Mohamed, Mama Glow Foundation

At Mama Glow’s recent Doula Expo, held a week after the Momnibus bill was reintroduced, founder Latham Thomas spoke to actress Tatyana Ali, who shared how necessary she feels it is to advocate for the bill’s passage into law. “It is the kind of policy that…includes so much and it would change things for everybody,” she said. “So I’m at the place where I just talk about it everywhere I am. But I’m also at the place where I’m like, okay, let’s organize.”

About the 12 bills in the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act

Impact to Save Moms Act

Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care cost an average of $18,865, with the average out-of-pocket payments totaling around $2,854. For many people, these costs keep them from seeking the care they need.

This bill seeks to find new ways to make perinatal healthcare affordable to everyone—not just those with deep pockets and good insurance. The Impact to Save Moms Act would “allow states to test payment models for maternity care, including postpartum care, under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP),” according to Congress.gov.

Kira Johnson Act

At the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC), federal policy analyst Alise Powell says the Kira Johnson Act is one of their favorites. “It focuses on supporting community-based organizations with financial grants,” she says. “There’s data to support that when pregnant folks are being cared for by folks in their community who they trust and who look like them, that leads to better maternal health outcomes.”

These grants could also address maternal health challenges in novel ways. “Funding enables [organizations] to conduct studies, gather data, and share findings that inform evidence-based practices,” says Mohamed. “These organizations can pilot and scale up innovative programs, share successful models, and contribute to the collective learning and advancement of maternal health care. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement.”

The bill would also provide training to healthcare workers to reduce instances of racism, bias, and discrimination.

Perinatal Workforce Act

This act will establish grants for education programs to diversify the perinatal workforce, including nurses, doctors, and other clinicians involved in maternal care. It also mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide proper guidance on maternal care delivery options, including information on doulas, midwives, and all holistic maternity care options.

The bill would also offer what’s known as congruent maternity care. “Culturally congruent care, which involves providing care that is sensitive to and respectful of an individual’s cultural background and needs, is essential for improving maternal health outcomes,” says Mohamed.

Extending WIC for New Moms Act

Access to nutritious food has been found to boost maternal health, yet not all new parents can afford it. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) helps birthing people and their children access healthy food. Currently, parents are only eligible for these services for six months (or 12 months if breastfeeding). The Extending WIC for New Moms Act will increase that eligibility for two more years.

Social Determinants for Moms Act

This bill targets the nonclinical social determinants of maternal health—like affordable housing and transportation to (and childcare during) healthcare appointments. Additionally, this bill would start new research into social disparities and environmental factors contributing to poor maternal health care. It also includes the WIC extensions presented in the Extending WIC for New Moms Act.

“Ensuring safe and stable housing reduces the risk of complications during pregnancy, while improved transportation access enhances prenatal care utilization,” says Mohamed.

Data to Save Moms Act

This bill calls for maternal mortality review committees within the CDC, and mandates that these committees unearth nonclinical causes of maternal mortality, use the most up-to-date indicators of maternal morbidity, and “review deaths caused by suicide, overdose, or other behavioral health conditions attributed to or aggravated by pregnancy or childbirth.”

The Data to Save Moms Act will also ask experts from diverse backgrounds to review how maternal health data is collected. This is a crucial step, given that past data collection on this subject has been scant.

Tech to Save Moms Act

Under this bill, the HHS would be required to offer grants to “reduce racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes by increasing access to digital tools,” like telehealth services, and to expand the use of learning models that can help people receive medical care in underserved areas.

“The Tech to Save Moms Act is another one that we are outwardly supporting and pushing within the package to improve and address disparities and maternal health outcomes, especially for folks who live in rural areas,” says Powell.

Maternal Health for Veterans Act

Only one of 13 original bills included in the Momninbus Act has been passed into law so far: The Protecting Moms Who Served Act. This bipartisan bill commissioned the first comprehensive study on the maternal health crisis among women veterans and focused on racial and ethnic disparities in particular.

Now, the Maternal Health for Veterans Act will reauthorize the funding of that bill.

Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act

National emergencies affect the medical system in countless ways, and maternal care is no exception. This bill would require data collection during public health emergencies that could pose threats to babies and birthing people. “The CDC must also carry out an education campaign about pregnancy and COVID-19 and must establish a task force that addresses maternity care during the COVID-19 emergency,” according to the bill.

Of course, now that the Biden Administration has ended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), this piece of legislation will seek to help birthing people and children during future PHEs.

Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act

Maternal health care is stripped from birthing people who are incarcerated. That’s why the Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act calls for states to restrict restraints on pregnant people and prioritize postpartum health among inmates. It will also keep those with children in state and local prisons so they can remain close to their families.

Better data collection of maternal health outcomes in prisons is also a priority of the legislation, particularly for inmates who are part of vulnerable populations.

Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act

As the name suggests, this act sets aside grants for research about how climate change is affecting birthing people and children, particularly those facing racial or ethnic disparities. It also will require those working in medicine to learn about these risks in training programs and continued education.

Maternal Vaccinations Act

Pregnant people from underserved racial and ethnic groups are far less likely to get life-saving vaccines compared to white people. This act would establish “a national campaign to raise awareness and increase rates of maternal vaccinations” and asks the CDC to focus its attention on groups that have traditionally shied away from maternal vaccines due to lack of education, lack of access, or both.

What’s next for the Momnibus Act—and how you can help

Powell says that packaging all of the bills together makes the Momnibus Act an audacious but necessary venture. And it sends the message that maternal health is a multidimensional issue that deserves a multi-dimensional solution.

“We’re hoping these issues stay at the forefront of healthcare conversations. We will continue to connect the dots between abortion restrictions, the Black maternal health crisis, maternal health, and bodily autonomy,” says Powell.

In the coming months, NBEC will try to garner bipartisan support for the Momnibus Act. However, it’s a long road—but there’s a way for you to help.

“Contact your representatives now that the package has been reintroduced. Call them, email them, send them letters to ask them for their support of the bill in its entirety. Share your stories and perspectives on the issue and how it has impacted your life. We’ve found that, especially in the advocacy spaces, almost everyone you know has a story related to the maternal health crisis,” says Powell. Now is the time to tell yours.

The result, for many, is a months-long period of trying—one that may prove longer and more frustrating than it needed to be, simply for lack of clear information about how to optimize that trying. It only felt natural for Chelsea Hirschhorn, mom of four and CEO of baby and postpartum care brand Frida, to, well, conceive of a conception-support line that demystifies the process. The brand has earned its beloved reputation for taking the guesswork out of early parenthood and postpartum recovery. And now, with Frida Fertility, it’s extending its umbrella of care to prospective parents, too.

The idea for the line was born after Hirschhorn announced her fourth pregnancy and soon began to get questions from friends and people in the broader Frida network about how they could better their own chances of conception. It dawned on her then that, while she knew exactly how to avoid pregnancy (thanks to middle school sex-ed), she couldn’t clearly explain how she actually got pregnant each time that she had.

“Sometimes, it took me months; other times, it happened right away. Sometimes, I stopped drinking coffee and told my husband to avoid hot showers, and other times, I changed absolutely nothing. All the times, I kept my legs in the air after sex [but didn’t really know if that helped],” she says. “No one had actually taught me that there are things that couples can do from the moment they think about starting a family to better their chances of conception.” It was this realization that inspired the company’s collaboration with fertility specialists to bring a conception product line to life.

The new Frida Fertility line streamlines and systematizes the process of getting pregnant into three stages—preparation, testing and tracking, and conception—and walks prospective parents through each one with simple tools designed to boost the chance of pregnancy from the jump: a set of supplements for enhancing egg and sperm quality, respectively ($50); an ovulation and pregnancy test and track set ($37); and an at-home insemination kit with a sperm collection cup and two applicators ($50).

How Frida Fertility helps streamline and normalize the process that is conception

Though plenty of people can conceive without any outside support, that’s certainly not always the case. “I think a lot of people think it’s very normal to get pregnant in the first cycle or two, but the majority of people do not get pregnant that fast,” says reproductive endocrinologist Stephanie M. Thompson, MD, who’s partnering with Frida on the new launch. Indeed, your chances of pregnancy are about one in four during each cycle if you’re in your twenties, and one in five if you’re in your thirties; and only about 30 percent of people actually do get pregnant within the first cycle.

“I think a lot of people think it’s very normal to get pregnant in the first cycle or two, but the majority of people do not get pregnant that fast.” —Stephanie M. Thompson, MD, reproductive endocrinologist

It’s for this reason that you’re not considered to have clinical infertility until after a year of trying if you’re 35 or younger, and six months if you’re older. But during those first few months is precisely where the informational gap lies, according to Hirschhorn—when people are expected to just try without necessarily having had the sex education around how and when, and without being able to access an insurance-covered fertility consult, if that would even be within their means.

“In some ways, the pendulum has recently swung the opposite direction to where conversations are now heavily focused on infertility, but the reality is, there’s a whole journey you can go on well before that to prepare your body to conceive, and to test and track your hormones that are optimal for conceiving, in order to better your chances of pregnancy,” says Hirschhorn.

The launch of a multistep product line dedicated to that journey highlights an under-discussed reality: The process of getting pregnant (even for those without a diagnosed fertility issue) can be just that…a process requiring some particular steps. And that’s totally normal.

Perhaps the biggest misconception surrounding that process is that “we have time, when it comes to age,” says Dr. Thompson. “I don’t think people realize how dramatic the decline in egg count and quality is [with aging], especially when you get into your mid-thirties.” That’s where the Frida Fertility supplements come into play. The egg-focused ones contain antioxidants like CoQ10 and selenium to help combat ovarian aging (and exclude ingredients common in prenatal vitamins that you don’t need until you’re actually pregnant, like iron); and the sperm-focused ones are made with folate and B12 for sperm health, as well as zinc and vitamin C for sperm structure.

“I don’t think people realize how dramatic the decline in egg count and quality is, especially when you get into your mid-thirties.” —Dr. Thompson

Given that time is of the essence for maintaining both egg and sperm quality, it’s also especially important for your pregnancy odds to have sex within your fertile window. “It’s another misconception that your chance of pregnancy every month is really high,” says Dr. Thompson. In reality, conception is only possible during the 12- to 48-hour window of ovulation and the few days before—aka about six days total per menstrual cycle, and not whenever you have unprotected sex. (Sorry, Coach Carr.) The longer your cycle (i.e. the fewer periods you have in a year), the fewer tries for pregnancy you get, says Dr. Thompson.

The Frida ovulation test set normalizes testing your pee for luteinizing hormone (a sign of impending ovulation) each morning, wherever you may be, with a collapsible pee cup that includes a handle—no more pee splattering on your hand—and a tracker card and case for storing and transporting the test strips. The ease of the kit is designed to remove any confusion around pinpointing your fertile window, so you can better time sex for max pregnancy potential.

And because carefully timed sex isn’t always sexy (or possible), the final component of the Frida fertility line normalizes at-home insemination for conception, too—so that it’s no longer just something you might be tempted to DIY with a turkey baster. (Yep, it’s a thing.) The at-home insemination kit comes with a semen collection cup and two applicators, so that a person with a penis can collect semen whenever the time feels right, and a person with a vagina can comfortably deliver it to their cervix whenever they’re ovulating.

“This is really beneficial for couples where there may be some male-factor anxiety,” says Dr. Thompson. “It’s hard to make [erection and ejaculation] happen on demand for months, so the at-home insemination kit can help eliminate the timing issue.” It’s also especially useful for same-sex couples who are working directly with a sperm donor bank and want or need to inseminate at home.

This ability to access conception support at an affordable price without having to make a doctor’s visit is at the heart of the entire line, says Hirschhorn. While similar products exist both on the market and in DIY versions, the fact that you can pick up this full line at Target, easily use each component to better understand and maximize your chances of pregnancy, and do so proactively (before insurance would cover a fertility consult) has the power to save you time. And in the world of conception, there are few things more precious than that.

Last week, in a unanimous 17-0 vote, a panel of advisers recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bring Opill, a daily progestin-only contraceptive pill, over the counter. (It’s currently available by prescription only.) If the FDA decides to approve the move, this historic advancement would make Opill the first birth control pill available over the counter in the U.S., greatly improving access for many.

“The science is clear that an over-the-counter progestin-only pill is safe and effective and can advance public health and health equity, especially among communities who face the most barriers in our healthcare system,” Kelly Blanchard, president of Ibis Reproductive Health, which runs the Free the Pill coalition, said in a statement.

A final decision isn’t expected until late summer, but many advocates say it can’t come too soon. Particularly since, in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned last June, many reproductive health clinics have shut down, making it even harder to access contraceptives.

As someone who has personally struggled with obtaining birth control pills, this move feels personal. The need to see my doctor every six weeks in order to renew my birth control, as dictated by ridiculous insurance policies, has caused me to miss work on multiple occasions. Then, more often than not, I’ve found myself trapped in pharmacy queues that stretch to infinity, just to snag a measly 30-day pack of birth control pills. That’s not to mention the intense battles of wits with insurance reps over annoying copays for those doctor’s visits.

Preventing an unintended pregnancy shouldn’t feel like a dizzying process that results in tears. And yet, the entire thing often feels like an awful, never-ending comedy show (or low-budget horror film, depending on your preference) that usually leaves me questioning the absurdity of it all.

The benefit of “the pill” is its 99 percent effectiveness in preventing unintended pregnancies (when used correctly). Making birth control more accessible not only allows individuals to make informed decisions about their reproductive health but it also allows them flexibility when it comes to family planning. This, in turn, can reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and help individuals and couples better align their childbearing goals with their personal circumstances.

However, so many people face enormous barriers when it comes to contraception access. In a survey conducted by Advocates for Youth, 88 percent of young adults struggled to access birth control, while 55 percent experienced such significant barriers—whether due to finances, prescription requirements, lack of insurance, limited access to healthcare providers, or age and consent restrictions—that they were unable to begin taking birth control on their preferred timeline.

And the consequences are distressing. Among those who reported being unable to get on birth control, a notable 58 percent had a pregnancy scare, 20 percent experienced an unwanted pregnancy, and 16 percent ended a pregnancy with an abortion.

Meanwhile, more than 19 million Americans with uteruses who are of reproductive age live in “contraceptive desserts,” according to data from Power to Decide, an organization that promotes sexual health and well-being. Shockingly, approximately 1.2 million of these individuals find themselves in counties “without a single health center offering the full range of [contraception] methods.”

Yet simply bringing the pill over the counter is not enough to truly increase access. Victoria Nichols, MPH, Free the Pill project director, says that in order to maximize the positive impact of transitioning to OTC birth control, it’s crucial to address potential legislative obstacles concerning insurance coverage, like coverage exemptions and cost-sharing requirements that can result in high co-pays, deductibles, or coinsurance.

“Policymakers must ensure that legislative barriers related to insurance coverage don’t push the pill out of reach for the people who stand to benefit the most from the switch, particularly Indigenous communities, people of color, and those working to make ends meet,” Nichols says.

Last year, Democratic lawmakers in Congress introduced the Affordability is Access Act, a proposal that aims to guarantee insurance companies fully cover the expenses associated with FDA-approved over-the-counter oral contraceptives.

“Legislators at the state level can also take action now to promote health equity, human rights, public health and contraceptive equity by requiring that insurers cover OTC birth control methods without a prescription, as eight states have already done,” Nichols says. “Any over-the-counter birth control pill must be covered by insurance and sold at an affordable price.”

The approval of oral contraceptives by the FDA dates back to 1960, marking a significant milestone in contraception history. (In fact, Opill was first approved under a different name 50 years ago.) By 2005, it was estimated that over 500 million women worldwide relied on hormonal contraceptives. Today, approximately 1 in 4 Americans who ovulate and use birth control opt for oral contraceptives.

Yet, despite the large percentage who take “the pill,” the ability to obtain it remains challenging. Should the FDA vote to bring oral contraceptives over-the-counter, those obstacles would be eased. By providing the means to prevent unintended pregnancies, birth control access not only offers reproductive control but also supports women’s health, promotes gender equality, and contributes to overall well-being. It is a vital component of comprehensive healthcare that allows individuals to shape their lives according to their own aspirations and goals.

That sounds remarkable to me.

No One Told Me Motherhood Would Take My Boobs on Such a *Journey*

It started with trouble getting into my sports bra: Before I even realized I was pregnant, I noticed that I’d been having to squeeze, tuck, and squirm to fit my boobs in, clown-car-style. The resulting cleavage—something I’d never really had—would make my husband do eye-roll-inducing double takes. Meanwhile, whenever I wasn’t wearing a bra, my dog would try to lick my nipples. (Cue: some interesting 2 a.m. Google searches.) 

I’d known that pregnancy and motherhood would make my breasts bigger and sorer. But I didn’t realize just how much change was in store—or how much mental space that change would take up. 

I’m not someone who’s ever had to think much about my boobs. Sure, as a teenager, I dreamed they might grow bigger. But as my adult body settled into the small side of a B-cup, I had the privilege of not having to worry about cleavage or excessive bouncing around.

Then they started aching. Even before my belly grew, I could no longer sleep on my stomach because my breasts couldn’t handle it. Even putting on a shirt too quickly could make me flinch. My first “maternity-wear” purchase was actually a high-support sports bra that felt like medieval body armor, but successfully kept my boobs in check so that I could still run and work out somewhat. 

The one sensation I truly couldn’t handle started about five or six months into my pregnancy, when my underboob began sticking to my belly. I’d always relished that wonderfully freeing feeling of taking your bra off at the end of the day—especially in my work-from-home life, getting rid of my underwire had become one of those mental markers that separated professional-time from me-time. Now, though, taking off a bra left me with sweaty skin-on-skin contact between moist, swollen mounds that stubbornly clung together. I couldn’t deal. I started keeping my bra on until the moment I went to bed.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s common to gain one to three pounds in your breasts alone by the end of pregnancy. I was measuring around a D-cup and beginning to realize what life is like with a larger chest. A simple V-neck suddenly felt too provocative to wear on a work call. Even chasing after my dog for a few feet came with so much uncomfortable jiggling that I’d just… not. As someone who’s always loved being active, I finally understood why bigger breasts lead some people not to be.     

The irony is, though I’d envied more voluptuous women as a teenager, these lumps of fat and tissue and milk now felt the opposite of anything sexy. They just seemed bulky to me, and annoying. And as soon as my daughter arrived, they became practical, workmanlike tools to feed her. Luckily, although the lactation consultant at the hospital had warned me that I have “one wonky nipple,” breastfeeding came relatively easily. My body settled into the rhythm of her feeds, and my chest began to slowly shrink back down (somewhat, at least—apparently it takes a good three months after weaning to find out your new normal).

I knew that, after having been so stretched out, they’d end up saggier, but I was by no means prepared for the day I stepped out of the shower, caught a glimpse of my profile in the mirror, and saw the very image of my mom’s boobs. The deflated teardrop-like droop was the exact shape I’d seen on my mom all of my life, but now it was on my body. Along with the shock that I had physically become my mother was the realization that I was the reason her breasts had looked that way all my life (okay, my brother’s partly guilty, too).  

When I brought all of this up to a mom friend with two older kids, she pointed out that becoming a mom is like splitting off part of your personality into another being—one that doesn’t wholly belong to you. Instead of your breasts being yours, they’re owned by this “mom.” And there’s nothing you can do that’s as simple as, say, taking off some underwire to fully feel like yourself again. The disconnect is always there. 

This, I realized, was the heart of why these changes had struck me so deeply. I absolutely loved being my daughter’s mom; I also missed the woman she replaced—the one who could travel on a whim, who could be flirtatious and make raunchy jokes, who had the energy to stay awake after 9 pm. My identity had shifted, taking on the stereotypes and baggage of the label of “mom.” And I had a literal weight on my chest embodying the distinction between who I’d become and who I’d left behind. 

I won’t lie—I’d happily take my pre-baby perkiness back. Yet there’s also something I appreciate about how these new mom boobs have settled softly onto my chest in just the right shape for bedtime cuddles. I’m now 10 months in, my milk’s starting to dry up, and I’ve been thinking about how this one part of my body has not only fed my baby, but time and again has been the one thing that’s comforted her when nothing else can. Nursing her during her first year of life has been the last truly physical connection we have to each other after having her be a literal part of me for so many months. 

Recently, my daughter’s started this new habit where sometimes she’ll stop drinking, pull her head back, then hold my nipple between her fingers while she inspects it curiously, like some kind of judgy milk sommelier. Other times, she’ll bite down with her (surprisingly sharp) new teeth; when I wince, she’ll giggle her breathy little laugh. And I realize yet again that I’d give up my boobs, or any other body part, anything really, a hundred times over for her.

How Bethany C. Meyers Is Meeting Motherhood With a Body-Neutral Approach

What happens when a body-neutrality pioneer goes through the highly physical transformation of pregnancy? For Bethany C. Meyers, it’s brought a whole new value and meaning to the practice.

Body neutrality describes holding a mindset toward one’s physical form that’s free of judgment—whether positive or negative—in favor of feeling respect and appreciation. It started appearing online around 2015, largely in response to the body-positivity movement, which many feel is both exclusionary and can lead to the feelings of shame, inadequacy, and self-hate that it aims to reverse. 

This ethos is something Meyers, 36, previously felt was missing from the fitness landscape, which often inextricably links feelings about appearance with exercise. As founder and CEO of body-neutral digital fitness platform and app the be.come project, which launched in 2018, Meyers has focused on promoting movement without any emphasis on “results.”

But in their latest role of “Mom,” Meyers—who has experienced years of eating disorders and disordered-eating patterns—has revisited their relationship with neutrality. Following a years-long journey that included infertility treatment and miscarriage, they and their partner, actor Nico Tortorella, 34, welcomed daughter Kilmer Dove on March 5 via home birth from within a tent of cozy- and whimsical-feeling lace.

The path of conception, pregnancy loss, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is highly physical and rife with physical changes. Meyers has been weathering these shifts and settling into their newest layer of identity while still prioritizing listening to their intuition and giving theirself grace. 

“The way that body neutrality is applying to me the most now is a little bit different than how maybe you might think it would apply,” they tell me. “I've been so face-to-face with the physical side of everything that it’s flipped so much upside down…I've been really trying to use body neutrality in a way that accepts all of those feelings and allows them all to be there.”

When Meyers and I recently chatted, ahead of the June release of their book, I Am More Than My Body, it was clear that body neutrality is perhaps more important to them than ever—if in a newer, more open way.

Bethany C. Meyers: Truly, I'm doing well. It's just wild to me how fast it's going; the first six weeks, I didn't have anyone at the house, and I didn't really leave the house. It was a time of super-intense bonding, which was amazing. But now, all the company's starting to come in: My mom was here last week, Nico's mom's here this week. I feel like it's like time to get back into the swing of things and I'm just like, whoa.

BM: In body neutrality, there is a practice of letting go of the idea that your body is the most important thing. I think it's hard to get to a place where you're in bliss about your body. But, I do think that we can start to reframe the way that we think about our bodies and really prioritize our mental health, our well-being, and our strength—that’s the part of body neutrality that bled into my infertility process.

So much of that felt like my body was failing me. And then I got pregnant, and my body did not belong to me. I didn't want to say this when I was pregnant, because it took me so long to get there and I was so scared of jinxing it, but I did not like being pregnant. Now that I am holding my baby in my arms, I am so happy. 

The other night, I was sitting in the bathtub, and I started crying because my body feels like it's mine again. I'm not carrying a baby, I'm not getting shots, I'm not going to the doctor, I'm not tracking a cycle, I'm not looking at a period—I'm just in my body. And that was such a powerful moment. Finding this more neutral state is the way that the concept is applying to me the most now. 

BM: My body is so different now than before I was pregnant—I'm a different size. That can be jarring, and I'm more sympathetic to that now. Before having a baby, I was a little bit like, “It doesn't matter, just focus on what your body has done for you.” That's nice, and part of that is true: I do have a different relationship with my body because I've seen what it can do, and the life that it can give, and how it can feed another life.

I've also been really, really excited to do movement and to work out. I've wondered whether my motive for wanting to work out is because I want to lose weight. In eating-disorder recovery, it’s a big thing for me to notice motivation for working out so I can make sure that it's not just about the physical. Literally last night, I was like, “Well, some of the motive is physical—that does exist, and I don't know that I need to beat myself up for that or try to take that out, because I think that there is something so natural about that. My body has shifted a ton, and it’s okay to have those feelings while also not letting them be the highest priority. 

BM: I'm so lucky to have Nico. He's just really been there throughout the pregnancy—throughout all of it. I have a lot of support. Nico has been making sure I'm fed. I'm feeding the baby, and Nico's feeding me, and specifically postpartum, the time that you have to feed yourself is non-existent. That has been super-helpful, because something that often would play in my eating disorder is just like not having time.

Nico is just a big cheerleader for my body, for the changes, and for loving all of the changes. That has made me feel really confident. Body positivity doesn't necessarily work for my own self the majority of the time, but my partner is my body positivity. He's always like, “You're looking great” and “I love this” and helping me find clothes. It's so helpful to have someone like that—if it's not your partner, then a friend.

Also, I've been really wanting to find time for movement. That's something that Nico has helped me prioritize, by being like, “Hey, I'm gonna take the baby. Why don't you go and, you know, do a workout or do whatever you want to do, or go outside, take a walk, that kind of thing?” And I think having that dedicated time has been really helpful.

BM: I'm a person who likes to have things figured out. I like to know what I'm doing. I like to be in control. I run a company—I'm good at the things that I'm good at and that I know how to do. After having a baby, all of a sudden, you're thrown into this brand-new role that you've only read about. That's, that's really where I feel like the struggle comes in sometimes. I just want to know what I'm doing for a little bit; I just want to feel super-confident. And that certainly takes time.

I’m also finding a lot of similarities between diet culture and mother culture. My Instagram now serves me Reels saying things like, “If you do anything with a baby three times, they're going to form a habit.” What that sounds like to me is, “If you eat this amount of sugar, then you're going to be addicted.” It is wild to me how much parent culture and diet culture connect in this way. 

During the first few weeks after Kilmer was born, I was just so inundated with information like this. In my opinion, it creates fear that we do not innately know how to take care of our children, the same way that diet culture creates fear that we are going to wreck our bodies. Taking care of ourselves and our babies is what we know how to do so deep within. My practice in body neutrality is helping me weed out some of the noise and focus on body trust and intuition.

BM: I'm attuned to the red flags. Red flags for me in the diet-culture world is anything that is an absolute, and anything that follows a format of, “do this, and the problem will be fixed,” or “these three things take care of this thing.” 

I'm so sensitive to that kind of information that after Kilmer was born, I started to feel something wasn’t right about all of these Reels—I've had to ask people to stop sending them to me. Practicing body neutrality has helped me become really aware of how I feel. 

BM: Having someone to talk to is probably like the number one, most important thing. Get the support you need, but know that pregnancy can also be a positive experience that can help you heal further.

During pregnancy, my relationship with food became better than it had ever been. I had to eat to not feel nauseous, I had to eat to sustain life—same thing now, but with breastfeeding. I've never been so much of an applauder of fat and protein. Now, all day long, I'm just like, “I need fat, I need protein, I need fat, I need protein. We’ve gotta keep this milk running.” And that has actually been really healing in the way that I look at food and consumption. 

BM: Allow yourself the space and the time and the healing that you need, because pregnancy and birth is such a dramatic experience for your body. It's okay to give yourself time. It can feel like we're not allowed that time, or like we're supposed to be out and taking walks and doing this and that, but it's really okay to lay in your bed. Set boundaries and also allow yourself the flexibility to change them if they're not working for you. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

It certainly did for Elizabeth Myer and Betsy Riley, co-founders of a new breastfeeding platform called Swehl. While embarking on their own breastfeeding journeys in 2020, both new moms felt isolated by the struggles they faced, only made worse by the false narratives that they should be breastfeeding, that it’s “free” and easy.

Born of their frustration with the notion that a person magically becomes a breastfeeding expert upon giving birth, Swehl is designed to clear the confusion, solve common challenges, and remind every new parent that they’re certainly not alone in their nursing experience.

To learn more about Swehl, directly from its co-founders Elizabeth Myer and Betsy Riley, listen to this episode of The Well+Good Podcast.

The current landscape of breastfeeding: rife with frustration and confusion

There’s no shortage of evidence pointing to the fraught relationship many birthing parents have with breastfeeding.

Back in 1991, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF teamed up to launch the “Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)” to encourage health facilities to better support breastfeeding (in response to decreasing numbers of breastfeeding parents worldwide). The number of U.S. hospitals with a BFHI designation has grown notably since 2007, yet the program has had mixed results, at best.

A landmark 2013 study of more than 500 first-time mothers found that breastfeeding problems were a near-universal experience (92 percent of participants reported troubles at day three postpartum). And as it turns out, BFHI can actually backfire, in some instances. One of its primary tenants is the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in hospitals and birthing centers immediately postpartum (and the coinciding restriction of formula), which can create undue stress among those who are struggling to breastfeed, making matters worse and putting the health of the baby and parent at risk.

Even those who receive the support they need from lactation consultants to breastfeed successfully post-birth may still face issues when they get home and in the weeks and months to follow, particularly when the realities of sleep deprivation, a baby’s growing nutritional needs, and obligations like work come into play.

While there’s a whole industry of products designed to solve for common breastfeeding struggles, navigating it is another story. Within about a month of having her first baby girl, Riley realized that she owned one of practically every one of these products—and yet, still felt no better about her ability to continue breastfeeding successfully.

“I took a road trip with my husband to visit family with my very small daughter, and as I was unpacking the car, I had this ‘a-ha’ moment of, ‘Oh my goodness, half my car is breastfeeding accessories.’” In addition to her hands-free pump and hospital-grade pump, she’d packed a nursing pillow, heating pads, and reusable milk containers; valves, flanges, and bottles; silver cups, syringes, and nipple everters—and the list goes on. “I realized I’d spent thousands of dollars on very hyper-medical tools, all from different companies,” says Riley. Worse yet, she hardly knew how to use any of this stuff.

“It became clear to me that the user journey around breastfeeding and how you get your information is totally broken.” —Elizabeth Myer, co-founder, Swehl

After all, the only way to learn would be to read lengthy user manuals…which wasn’t exactly feasible while she was tending to a newborn who was eager to eat, like, now. “You’re expected to become an expert overnight when you start breastfeeding, but you don’t have the resources to do so,” says Riley. Also personally familiar with this resources gap was Myer, who met Riley in a mom group and upon realizing she’d also acquired the same massive tangle of breastfeeding accessories, had her own lightbulb moment. “It became clear to me that the user journey around breastfeeding and how you get your information is totally broken,” she says.

If anyone would know, it was her. Myer had spent most of her career as a consultant in the brand-building and digital-marketing space for children’s products. “It took, on one side of my brain, years of research into the consumer mindset of moms, and on the other, actually becoming a mom, to realize that we are failing moms, especially in the first few months postpartum,” she says.

How Swehl is reimagining the breastfeeding ecosystem with streamlined products, video-based education, and talk circles

What Myer and Riley felt was most imminently missing from the mess of a breastfeeding industry they’d personally encountered was a one-stop shop. They needed one place where they could find products that were actually easy to use; quick, trustworthy solutions for their burning feeding questions; and a space to connect with other new parents who could relate. Swehl is designed to address all of the above by way of three pillars: education, product, and community.

Making information about breastfeeding easier to digest

The name Swehl, a twist on the word “swell,” references not only the swell of body parts (and of emotions) in the wake of new parenthood, but also the positive outcome of something splendid or excellent—á la, “That’s swell.” And the idea underscoring its conception is to help make breastfeeding a little more swell, without implying that breastfeeding is, or should be, the only option. “There’s a big spectrum of how you can feed your child, so what we want to do is arm parents with the resources and the confidence to make their own decisions,” says Myer.

“We wanted to eliminate hours of research and reading and avoid inundating someone who has just given birth with pamphlets.” —Myer

To do so, she and Riley first consulted with experts across the breastfeeding and chestfeeding space and recruited five of them to serve on Swehl’s advisory board, or “Motherboard:” an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), an OB/GYN, a doula, a holistic nutritionist and postpartum doula, and a pediatrician. These experts, themselves, lead the brand’s 75-plus bite-sized videos (all of which are around three minutes or shorter) on all sorts of common feeding topics and concerns, including the basics (like how to spot hunger cues and the 101 on pumping) and the nitty-gritty (from how to utilize different feeding positions to how to deal with leakage and how to wean).

Eliminating the guesswork required to use breastfeeding products

The same video library also has brief video tutorials for each of Swehl’s breastfeeding products, which are currently packaged in a kit ($100): a reusable colostrum syringe and container, nipple shields (for a baby learning to latch), milk collection cups, nipple balm, a cleansing nipple saline spray, and a supplemental nursing system (for babies with a diagnosed latch issue). “We paired each of these products with a QR code that drives right to that expert-led video, which we thought was really important,” says Myer. “We wanted to eliminate hours of research and reading and avoid inundating someone who has just given birth with pamphlets.”

The products themselves reflect careful innovation, too, and not just in how they look (though that’s pretty swell, as well). Each was designed to work more smoothly than its preexisting counterpart, to be multifunctional, and to have a use-case beyond the breastfeeding days.

Just take the syringe. Typically, you might buy a pack of, say, 50 single-use plastic syringes to feed a baby with a poor latch, whereas Swehl’s syringe is made of reusable food-grade silicone. The other syringes also tend to shoot milk or formula directly into the back of a baby’s mouth (rather than between their gum and cheek or onto their tongue), which leaves ample room for user error. Swehl’s syringe, by contrast, has a Y-tip on the end, “designed to shoot the milk down either side of the baby’s throat, so there’s less of a choking risk,” says Myer. This tool can also be repurposed for use with a newborn medication, like gas drops or infant Motrin, whenever that might be necessary.

Another example? Swehl’s Cloud 9 nursing sling (sold separately from the kit for $65). An answer to bulky, cumbersome nursing pillows that are difficult to take on-the-go, the nursing sling is a sling bag with an adjustable strap that also has a built-in pillow you can use to cradle a baby’s head while breastfeeding, says Riley. “And when you’re done with your breastfeeding journey, you can just remove the pillow and have extra space in your sling bag.”

Centering community and connection along the breastfeeding journey

To ensure these products would fit seamlessly into a new parent’s lifestyle (both now and in the future), Riley and Myer didn’t just consider their personal pain points; they also tapped lots of other new parents, arranging focus groups where people could air their concerns. Participants responded so positively to the opportunity to connect with other new parents and share common nursing gripes and milestones that Riley and Myer decided to make these virtual talk circles a permanent part of Swehl.

At launch, the single-topic Zoom groups, capped around 10 people, will be led by one of the experts on Swehl’s Motherboard or another expert, celebrity, or influencer in the parenting space, depending on the topic (which will always revolve around something in the fertility, parenting, or postpartum space). “This person will kick off the session with a prompt, answer the prompt, and then open the floor for everyone else to respond,” says Myer. This way, everyone knows what they’re getting into when they commit to join, and everyone can feel like they have the chance to chime in (though there’s no pressure to do so, either).

There’s also the opportunity to either request a talk circle on a particular topic—for which Myer and Riley will find a host and set it up—or volunteer to host one of your own, using Swehl’s infrastructure.

The idea is for the talk circles to be a safer, more personable, and more helpful alternative to online parent forums for anyone on the new-parent journey (breastfeeding or otherwise) looking to connect with others in the same boat. According to Myer and Riley, the upsides of building such a community can’t be overstated. “Our first support group we ever did was lightning in a bottle,” says Myer. “Ultimately, we determined that the kind of emotional support you can get from connecting with those who are in it alongside you isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have.”

To learn more about Swehl’s work in creating community, providing digestible information, and streamlining products surrounding breastfeeding, listen to the full podcast episode here.

While there are a lot of swimsuits geared toward pregnancy, the reality is, needs change once you give birth, and perhaps the swimsuit that flattered your pregnant body is indeed not the one doing the most for you after birth. With that in mind, we’ve gathered a list of our favorite swimsuits, specifically with a postpartum experience in mind.

Best postpartum swimsuits, at a glance:

• Best overall: Youswim, Verve High Waist Two-Piece  ($139)
• Runner-up: Summersalt, The Seascape Sweetheart One-Piece  ($95)
• Best breastfeeding bikini top: Kindred Bravely, Crossover Nursing and Maternity Bikini Top ($40)
• Best swimsuit that doubles as a shirt: Cleobella, Harlow One-Piece Swimsuit, Azulejo ($228)
• Best ruching: J.Crew, Ruched Femme One-Piece Full-Coverage Swimsuit ($60-$94)
• Best tankini: Tempt Me, Two-Piece Tankini Swimsuit ($37)
• Best for swimming: Hermoza, Margaret One-Piece Swimsuit ($79-$158)
• Best bikini bottoms: Andie Swim, The High Waisted Bottom ($46)
• Best contouring: Adore Me, Andria Contour Plus ($30)
• Best tummy control: Yonique, Tankini Swimsuit ($37)
• Best sun protection: Motherhood Maternity, Long-Sleeved Maternity Swim Top ($50)
• Best compression: Left On Friday, Top Shelf Top ($85)
• Best back: Kona Sol, Women’s Pucker Textured Square Neck One-Piece Swimsuit ($40)
• Best for bigger busts: Birdsong, Women’s Tie-Front Tankini Top ($109)
• Best breastfeeding one-piece: Good American, Always Fit One-Piece Swimsuit ($89)
• Best support: Cuup, The Scoop Top ($98)

What to look for in a postpartum swimsuit

Comfort

A few things that were on the top of our criteria list? Number one, comfort. Comfort is key, always, but especially in those weeks and months after giving birth. You have to be comfortable. Period.

The cut

Second, the cut. You want your body to feel supported and compressed in the right places, and not too exposed in the areas that feel a little more vulnerable. We gravitated toward lower cut tops, and high-waisted bottoms.

Breastfeeding-friendly

Lastly, ease of taking care of your little one. We thought about breastfeeding, moving around in a more utilitarian and non-lounging fashion, and swimsuits staying in place (you’ll see no strapless swimsuits on the list for that reason).

The truth is, you only need one good swimsuit to wear during that postpartum period. You’ll have a lot of other things on your mind, so a swimsuit that keeps you comfortable, makes you feel good, and keeps your life easy is aces in our book.

16 best postpartum swimsuits

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Best overall:

Youswim, Verve Highwaist Two-Piece — $139.00

Youswim suits only come in two sizes, but that’s because they’re designed to grow and stretch as you grow and stretch. Somehow this feat of bathing suit engineering also manages to look good on everybody. From the Youswim line we like this particular style—the top hits in just the right spot and the bottom rises to just the right spot resulting in a perfect union.

Sizes: 1 size (comfortably fits 2-14 and A-G cups)
Colors: 13
Materials: Nylon yarn

Pros:

• Grows and stretches like a dream
• Flattering cut (truly looks gorgeous on every body type)
• Textured fabric

Cons:

• Expensive
• Not structured (not a con, just an FYI)

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Runner-up:

Summersalt, The Seascape Sweetheart One-Piece — $95.00

Color blocking is your friend when it comes to postpartum swimwear, and The Seascape Sweetheart has two beautiful, if understated, color blocking options. Reviewers also comment on how supportive the suit feels, with compression (four times the compression according to the Summersalt site) in the right places and a bust-line that flatters. There are also sewn in breast cups, which can be very helpful for any moments of milk leakage.

Sizes: 2-22
Colors: 3
Material: 78% recycled polyamide, 22% elastane

Pros:

• Compression
• Built-in cups and adjustable straps

Cons:

• Butt might be a little cheeky for some

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Best breastfeeding bikini top:

Kindred Bravely, Crossover Nursing and Maternity Bikini Top — $40.00

A bikini top that is easy to pull down to nurse without taking off the whole thing, is always welcomed. The fabric is nice and stretchy, which is also extremely useful when it comes to the ever-changing boob sizes of postpartum life. Busty sizes also come with wider straps (thank you for this design element, Kindred Bravely!) and the top looks super cute with a variety of the available mix and match bottoms.

Sizes: S-XXL/1X, with larger bust options
Colors: 2
Material: 85% recycled polyester, 15% spandex

Pros:

• Easy pull-aside nursing access
• Stretchy fabric for changing bust sizes

Cons:

• Some reviewers complain about comfort of the boning

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Best swimsuit that doubles as a shirt:

Cleobella, Harlow One-Piece, Azulejo — $228.00

Fun print, plus cut out, plus ruffles, there’s a lot going on with this maximalist one-piece but somehow it works. The best part about this ethically-made suit is it does double duty as a top, looking great with a long skirt or flow-y pants. There is underwire which is helpful for support, and the keyhole cut out is a great way to show a little skin while still figuring out life in your postpartum body.

Sizes: XS-XL
Colors: 1
Material: 80% recycled nylon, 20% elastane

Pros:

• Hugs well in the midriff area
• Easy for breastfeeding

Cons:

• Expensive

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Best ruching:

J. Crew, Ruched Femme One-Piece Full-Coverage Swimsuit — $118.00

As anyone who has been pregnant will tell you, ruching is your friend. It has a way of hiding the places you want to hide and accentuating the places you want accentuated. This one-piece ruches and it ruches well, it also has an ultra flattering V-neck bustline with that all important easy breastfeed access.

Sizes: 0-24
Colors: 14
Material: 82% recycled nylon/polyamide/18% elastane, 92% polyester/8% elastane Repreve® lining

Pros:

• Removable pads
• Several color options

Cons:

• Some reviewers say the color fades

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Best tankini:

Tempt Me, Two-Piece Tankini Swimsuit — $33.00

Ruching, full coverage, and a tummy control top, this tankini does a lot of work. It also comes in tons of different colors and patterns, so there are lots of options to find your favorite one. If you’re looking for something in between the coverage of a one-piece and the exposure of a two-piece, this tankini might be right on the money.

Sizes: XXS-22 Plus
Colors: 41
Material: 85% polyester, 15% spandex

Pros: 

• Lots of patterns to choose from  
• Reviewers rave about the support and the strap stability

Cons:

• Hand-wash only

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Best for swimming:

Hermoza, Margaret One-Piece — $188.00

More coverage and a zipper in front for easy breastfeeding access. The princess seams on the sides do a little appreciated contouring work and we’re especially big fans of the beautiful (and on sale) sunrise ikat pattern. Reviewers also love this as a lap swimming suit, which perhaps you don’t feel like doing at this juncture in life but it’s just as good for a quick dip.

Sizes: 2-14
Colors: 6
Material: 72% polyester, 28% elastane, 84% polyamide, 16% elastane lining

Pros:

• Flattering silhouette
• Easy breastfeeding access
• Good coverage

Cons:

• Higher price point
• Hand wash only

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Best bikini bottoms:

Andie Swim, The High Waisted Bottom — $46.00

When you’re postpartum and searching for a bikini bottom, high waisted is 1000 percent the way to go. The people who feel excited to show the stomach area below the belly button directly after being pregnant (and still healing) are few and far between. This high waisted bottom is a solid staple that hits just below the belly button, and can be paired with any top of your choosing.

Sizes: XS-XXXL
Colors: 11
Material: 82% nylon, 18% spandex

Pros:

• Flattering cut
• Stays in place very well for activities

Cons:

• Hand-wash only

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Best contouring:

Adore Me, Andria Contour Plus — $60.00

This suit is stylish and comfortable with fun patterns and an incredibly flattering V-neck. Note the ruching (excellent), and the easy boob access (key). And the price is right. A++.

Sizes: 0X-4X
Colors: 10
Material: Nylon/spandex/polyester

Pros: 

• Easy breastfeeding access
• Supportive straps
• Good coverage but fun patterns

Cons:

• Some reviewers find the breast fit too small

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Best tummy control:

Yonique, Tankini Swimsuit — $37.00

What sets this swimsuit apart is the detailed twist front. Other standout elements include the ruching and the tummy control and the adjustable straps. The removable bra pads are also an excellent feature for that postpartum ever-changing bust shape.

Sizes: XXS-26 Plus
Colors: 39
Material: 82% nylon, 18% spandex

Pros:

• Great tummy control
• Lots of support

Cons:

• Sizing takes some trial and error

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Best sun protection:

Motherhood Maternity, Long Sleeve Maternity Swim Top — $50.00

Over a swimsuit or in lieu of a swimsuit, this swim top is a grows-with-you (and shrinks-with-you) option defined by comfort and coverage. Ruching on the sides (with drawstrings to ruche even more!) is a flattering touch and with UPF 50+ this is a sun protection dream.

Sizes: XS-XL
Colors: 2
Material: 82% nylon, 18% spandex

Pros:

• The side ruching is *chef’s kiss*
• UPF 50+
• Chic patterns

Cons:

• No padding or structure

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Best compression top:

Left On Friday, Top Shelf Top — $85.00

A truly excellent top for breastfeeding thanks to the room and support. This top has no cups but the compression does the job better than most cups can. It’s extremely secure and also buttery soft. As for bottoms, Left On Friday has a whole lot of options, but the Hi Tide Bottoms are a great postpartum pick.

Sizes: XS-XXL
Colors: 14
Material: 46% nylon, 38% polyester, 16% lycra

Pros:

• Snug in all the right places
• Dries quickly and is super comfortable
• Very supportive

Cons:

• Pricey

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Best back design:

Kona Sol, Women's Pucker Textured Square Neck One-Piece Swimsuit — $40.00

What sold us on this one was the strappy, scoop back which adds just the right amount of style. The puckered texture is also an incredibly appreciated option in those early postpartum days when you’re not sure what your body is doing and any bit of surface distraction is welcomed. Adjustable straps make this an excellent choice for shifting sizes and easy feeding access.

Sizes: XS-24
Colors: 3
Material: 92% polyester, 8% spandex

Pros:

• Adjustable straps
• Removable cups

Cons:

• Some reviewers complain about thin fabric

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Best for bigger busts:

Birdsong, Women's Tie-Front Tankini Top — $109.00

Designed for bigger bust sizes, this underwire top knows what it’s doing and it does it with flare. The convertible straps can be straight up and down or crisscrossed, and the key hole in front is a subtle amount of sexy. We also appreciate this more billowy option, because sometimes we just don’t want anything tight on whatsoever.

Sizes: 32DD-38I
Colors: 1
Material: 87% nylon, 13% spandex

Pros:

• Bigger sizing
• Convertible straps
• Looser fit

Cons:

• Expensive
• Hand wash only

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Best breastfeeding one-piece:

Good American, Always Fit One-Piece Swimsuit — $89.00

The minimalist design and textured fabric make this a simple suit with a lot to give. We like the scoop neck and adjustable straps as well as the fact that whether you’re carrying a baby or breastfeeding one, this suit stays right where you want it.

Sizes: XXS-XXXXXL
Colors: 3
Materials: 95% polyester, 5% spandex

Pros:

• Adjustable straps
• Textured fabric
• Flattering bustline

Cons:

• Not a lot of butt coverage
• High leg cut

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Best support:

Cuup, The Scoop Top — $98.00

Built to support, the Cuup Scoop Top has underwire, thick straps, and 53 different sizing options. Underwire will either be a pro or a con—depending on your preference—but this particular underwire is lightweight and flexible. There are lots of mix and match options with Cuup but we recommend the highwaist bottom for the most comfortable postpartum fit.

Sizes: 30A-44H
Colors: 8
Materials: 78% recycled ECONYL® polyamide, 22% elastane

Pros:

• Excellent quality
• UPF 50 protection
• Made to support

Cons:

• Expensive
• Hand wash only

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The latest claim circulating TikTok? That doing hip thrusts in the gym will lower your chances of getting pregnant.

Although it’s not totally clear where this idea originated, it’s been making the rounds, with some creators making cheeky videos about adding more weight to celebrate their child-free lifestyle. But before you start swapping your birth control pills for hip thrusts, we spoke with a reproductive endocrinologist to suss out the science behind the bold claims.

Can pelvic hip thrusts cause infertility?

If you do hope to get pregnant one day, we have good news: “There is no known association between this exercise and infertility,” says Lora Shahine, MD, reproductive endocrinologist and program director at Pacific NW Fertility in Seattle. Infertility is often the result of a multitude of factors ranging from hormonal imbalances to reproductive tract abnormalities. It’s unlikely that any single exercise, including pelvic hip thrusts, would lead to infertility, she says.

Some commenters speculated that placing a heavy barbell on your pelvis can cause uterine prolapse, a condition where the uterus drops down into the vaginal canal. But again, Dr. Shahine says there likely isn’t anything to worry about. With proper form and when done in moderation, weighted pelvic hip thrusts are a safe exercise to incorporate into your routine.

Just like any exercise, performing hip thrusts incorrectly can lead to discomfort or injury. When setting up your weighted hip thrusts, place the barbell in the crease of your hips and use a barbell pad if the pressure on your hips is uncomfortable (it’ll also prevent bruising on your hip bones).

And what if you’re actively trying to conceive? Should you lay off the hip thrusts just to be safe?

“In general when trying to conceive, I recommend continuing to exercise and move the body—exercise is very beneficial for physical and mental health,” Dr. Shahine says.

But it’s best to avoid extremes. Adding on significant amounts of weight, dramatically increasing your time in the gym or drastically changing your workout routine can throw off your hormones, alter your ovulation, and make it more difficult to get pregnant, she says. So if your goal is conception, now probably isn’t the time to push for that hip thrust PR or start training for an ultramarathon.

Can you hip thrust while pregnant?

Dr. Shahine says there’s no evidence to suggest women need to stop performing pelvic hip thrusts once they’re pregnant, but it’s best to work with a personal trainer certified in prenatal fitness who can suggest modifications to make the exercise more comfortable as the trimesters progress.

Once your belly becomes a bigger factor (pun intended), the barbell may not feel as comfortable on your abdomen. Instead, swap the barbell for a pair of dumbbells high on your quads or a resistance band.

And while weighted hip thrusts may not be the secret to warding off pregnancy, they are still one of the most effective exercises out there for some serious glute gains. So keep on thrusting.

The cost of travel and missing work adds to the already-high financial burden of receiving abortion care. (According to Planned Parenthood, a first-trimester in-clinic abortion typically costs around $600, while second-trimester abortions can cost up to $2,000.) And a recent study conducted by the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, has shed light on the emotional toll of traveling for an abortion.

“There has been research over the years that has attended to some of the challenges for people who have to travel, and that’s really helped flesh out the understanding of financial costs, and also the logistical costs,” study author Katrina Kimport, PhD, tells Well+Good. “There’s always been this nod to the emotional costs. But there hasn’t been a lot of literature that’s really dug into that.”

Kimport’s study interviewed 30 women who crossed state lines to receive abortion services. They shared that they had experienced a range of negative emotions, including distress, stress, anxiety, and shame. Of course, many of these emotions are associated with having an abortion at all—but the complications of travel heightens them.

“More people will know about what you’re doing and you’ll also maybe need to rely on some of those people for help,” explains Dr. Kimport. “Maybe you’ll need to borrow a car. Maybe you’ll need help with pet sitting. Maybe you need support in childcare. All these things mean disclosing your abortion which can already be shrouded in so much stigma.” Even if someone is supportive and willing to help, Dr. Kimport points out that being forced to share what you’re going through before you’re ready can create anxiety.

The other option: Concocting elaborate lies to protect your loved ones, which comes with its own mental health burden. (In some states, it’s illegal to assist those seeking an abortion, including in Idaho where a new law makes it a crime to help a minor get an abortion without parental consent.)

Dr. Kimport says that there are also social costs associated with going to an unfamiliar place, far from one’s home. “Some of the people we interviewed had never left their home state,” she says. Not only were they now somewhere unfamiliar under circumstances they didn’t plan, but “for some people who came from smaller population areas, this can be really intimidating to go to a place that was more like a city than anything they were really familiar with.”

Then there’s also the fact of being away from your customary network of support and familiar surroundings, which Dr. Kimport says additionally contributes to overall stress: You’re separated from loved ones, familiar comforts such as your own bed, and the security of your home environment.

The fact of legal restrictions themselves also add to the emotional toll. “We found that the circumstances under which people were compelled to travel were very specific to legal restrictions,” says Dr. Kimport. “That itself could cause feelings of shame, seclusion, or being—as one woman mentioned—‘feeling cast out from her own community.’ So knowing that the circumstances that force this travel were based in judgment of people having abortions, that also can contribute to feeling negatively. It made individuals feel as if what they were doing was abnormal or wrong.”

What’s more, abortion data reveals that approximately 75 percent of patients are low-income, in their twenties, and already parenting—groups that are often the least equipped to tackle the significant logistical and financial barriers imposed by abortion bans. “So many of the things that make abortion more difficult to access can be overcome with financial resources. But for people who do not have financial resources, what could be an obstacle for one person is now actually a barrier,” says Dr. Kimport. “That prevents them from accessing the care they need and want.”

Although the researchers haven’t since followed up with the study’s subjects, it’s not a stretch to imagine that restrictions on access to safe and legal abortion can have lasting effects on a person’s mental and emotional well-being. Geographical barriers are a cruel added burden to an already emotionally fraught experience. Unfortunately, in our post-Roe America, right now, burdens and barriers, not compassion and care, are the reality.

Roughly nine percent of men and 11 percent of women experience fertility problems in the U.S., reports to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As we age, fertility declines for both women and men, but it happens faster with women. For most women,by their mid-30s fertility starts to decline compared to their teens and early 20s, and the chance of conception drops significantly after age 45, according to The American College of Obstericians and Gynecologists. 

Though generalist doctors can order some fertility medication to increase egg production, they don’t always know when to move on from front-line treatment, according to Elisabeth Ginsburg, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a Harvard Medical School professor in obstetrics/gynecology. “The tricky thing is knowing what treatment is appropriate for what patients and it depends on what is happening to the couple. It is not one size fits all. If you haven’t tested the partner’s sperm, you don’t know if a treatment will be appropriate yet. To find out three, six months, or a year later that the sperm count is significantly low can be frustrating to think of all that time wasted.”

What to expect at a fertility consultation

During the consult you’ll share your timeline of how long you’ve been trying to conceive and other personal information. It’s helpful to bring the medical and surgical history for you and your partner, any medication and supplements you each may take, and results of any previous testing. You’ll do lab work, which may involve blood and urine tests.

“We go through what testing needs to be done, and we explain each test,” Dr. Ginsburg says. “If your doctor is rattling off information quickly, ask what you can learn from each test.” 

Keep in mind that the reproductive endocrinologist may go over various possible tests and procedures, but that does not mean that you would have all of them.

Your reproductive endocrinologist may ask questions like:

• Do you have regular menstrual cycles?
• How frequent do you have intercourse?
• Do you have any difficulty with intercourse?
• Does your partner have erectile dysfunction?
• Is intercourse painful?
• What is your medical history?
• Have you had any surgeries?

“I often ask women if there are any specific concerns or factors that may be impacting their fertility,” Dr. Ginsburg says. “Some have worries from the past. If a woman had a termination of a pregnancy for example, she may think that she did damage to her body that would impact fertility, which is not the case, but it’s a common concern.”

Other women assume that they need to stop taking antidepressants or anti-anxiety medicine if they are trying to get pregnant. “But they don’t,” says Dr. Ginsburg. “Infertility can heighten the anxiety or depression on top of a career and the part time job of fertility treatment. We worry about the health risks if you take the medicine away.” 

What tests can I expect at a fertility consultation?

Testing will often include a uterine exam, screening for infectious diseases, and a semen analysis if you’re exploring fertility treatment with a male partner.

Your doctor may discuss the need for the following assessments as well.

Blood tests

These can determine the quantity and quality of your eggs. Your doctor will look at the levels of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (estrogen) hormone level, and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) in your blood roughly the first few days of your period. “Other hormones we look at are thyroid function,” says Dr. Ginsburg. “We also make sure you’re immune to German measles, chicken pox, and have no sexually transmitted diseases.”

Hysterosalpingography 

An X-ray procedure of the uterus and fallopian tubes to check for blockages. A radiologist injects dye into the uterus through the cervix and if the dye moves freely the fallopian tubes are open. 

Sonohysterography 

A procedure to check the inside of the uterus. Sterile fluid is injected into the uterus through the cervix while ultrasound images are taken.

What will my test results tell me and what’s the next step?

When you have your follow up visit, your doctor will go over the findings of the tests, what the results mean, and what the appropriate treatments are. “A high percentage of the time the tests find a reason for problem, for example, a large polyp in the uterus that can be an easy surgical correction, or maybe the sperm is not moving as well as should be,” says Dr. Ginsburg. “About 20 percent of time everything looks fine according to tests, and we are not showing a cause [for infertility].”

After any potential hinderences are addressed, your doctor may suggest intrauterine insemination (IUI). Often called artificial insemination, the procedure is done near the time of ovulation and places the sperm directly into the uterus through the cervix using a catheter. It may be tried for six months, depending on the woman’s age.  

Dr. Ginsburg says common reasons to go the IUI route, along with oral fertility medication to increase the number of eggs released, include mild male factor infertility, sexual dysfunction, unexplained infertility, or if the woman had small amount of endometriosis.

If that’s unsuccessful, the next move is usually to invitro fertilization (IVF) so eggs can be surgically removed from the body and mixed with sperm in a lab to createfertilized eggs (embryos). After about 40 hours, the embryos are placed in the women’s uterus, without having to travel through the fallopian tubes. Reason to go right to IVF may include, poor sperm quality, blocked fallopian tubes, and sometimes advanced maternal age.

“At this point if a woman is 40 or over, it’s best to go to IVF,” Dr. Ginsburg says. “There is even a difference between age 40 and 41. Population studies of live birth rates are lower at 41 than 40. As women get older in general the number of eggs is lower. The drop-off of eggs is rapid in the 40s, and the older the egg, the greater the risk of chromosomal abnormalities.”  

How to know if your doctor is a good fit after a fertility consultation?

Finding a doctor that is a good fit for you is important. Knowing if they are the right fit can be determined by a few key factors. Firstly, they should be willing to teach you during your consult and make sure that you understand what is going on. They should also make you feel comfortable and provide you with the time to voice any of your concerns that you have. Finally, they should be happy to answer any questions that you have without hesitation.

So, I began to look into other proven ways to boost my energy without relying on my go-to lattes. Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD, shared with me that her number one tip for a pick-me-up au naturel was by simply upping my hydration game. However, she noted that I’d get the most bang for my buck by loading at least one of my Stanley cup’s worth a day with an electrolyte powder to help best absorb all the water I was guzzling down and create better fluid balance throughout the body along the way.

Considering pregnancy is an important time to monitor one’s caffeine intake and when we one is more prone to swelling and dehydration anyways, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to change up my morning routine for two weeks, starting my day with a big cup full of electrolyte-boosted water instead of coffee to see if I felt as energized (and maybe a bit less puffy) throughout the day.

Finding the right electrolyte supplement

Besides following Williams’s advice of opting for an electrolyte power that was low in added sugar to prevent major insulin spikes, which would have an effect on my energy levels, I also wanted to choose a powder that was free from artificial flavors, colors, and other chemicals and preservatives. After a bit of trial and error (some of the more “natural” options are *not* tasty!) I came across three brands that I really loved: LMNT, Cure, and Needed.

LMNT Electrolyte Powder Packets (30 Pack) — $45.00

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Cure Hydrating Electrolyte Mix (14 Pack) — $23.99

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Needed Hydration Support (30 Pack) — $44.99

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I loved LMNT for its super-simple ingredients list and that its products pack in 10 percent of my daily magnesium needs. Plus, the orange flavor tastes just like my favorite childhood sports drink. Cure had the best flavor options to bring some variety to my new routine and boasts nourishing ingredients like coconut water powder and pink himalayan sea salt.

Needed proved to be my favorite, though, because it offered the biggest electrolyte boost, thanks to the addition of trace minerals that would further support better energy levels, among other health benefits. Plus, it was nice insurance to add to my daily regimen as I was now sharing my mineral supply with another growing human.

However, these powders aren’t exactly cheap, so I also tried to make my own DIY electrolyte water for a more wallet-friendly option. All you need is a bit of mineral-rich salt (try Celtic sea salt or Redmond Real Salt), some lemons, and filtered water, plus, some trace mineral drops, if you’re looking for that extra boost. I found that a big pinch of salt and the fresh juice from at least a quarter of lemon still went a long way in helping me de-puff and re-energize in the morning.

My experience drinking electrolyte water for more energy

After finding some electrolyte powders that met my criteria, plus a DIY version, it was time to hide the coffee maker for two weeks and see if there really was something to Williams’s claims. I must say, though I usually try to drink at least a small cup of water first thing each morning before reaching for caffeine anyways, I felt that I rehydrated much faster by starting my day with a big glass of mineral-rich water, which also helped me de-puff faster. I’m still managing to wear my wedding and engagement ring 38 weeks in and have experienced little swelling elsewhere in my body, which I attribute to this new morning habit.

And though I didn’t feel a crazy surge of energy like I do with a cup of coffee, there was a steady increase in my energy levels about 30 minutes to an hour after finishing my electrolyte water that felt much more natural—and lasted me through lunch. Plus, there was no midday crash to dread because I wasn’t experiencing such a high spike; it was a more gentle surge of energy which kept those mid-morning jitters and heart palpitations away. This helped me feel more focused instead of scatterbrained throughout the first half of the day.

You may also be wondering about digestive impact, since so many of us rely on our morning cup of coffee for a routine bowel movement. The good news is that I still had consistent, if not improved, digestive habits, as better hydration and an increase in mineral intake will really help keep things moving along. My mom happened to be in town while I was doing this experiment and without telling her the supposed benefits I was seeking, she noted how much better her digestion became throughout the week by starting the day with a big glass of this super-charged water.

While I will certainly be pulling my coffee maker back out for the pleasure that a steaming cup in the morning brings me, I also plan to keep drinking my electrolyte-boosted water each day for all the amazing benefits I experienced over the weeks. And now I know when I’m tempted to reach for an extra latte in the afternoon, I can simply opt for one of my electrolyte powders instead for a healthier boost that won’t mess with my chances of securing a good night’s sleep—which will be crucial with a new little one in tow.

Soon after getting laid off, I learned two quite stressful things that carry financial implications. I needed to undergo surgery that would cost $60,000; and if I hoped to have a baby (I do), I’d need to do in vitro fertiliztion (IVF) within the next six months.

Regarding insurance coverage, I was fortunately able to find a surgeon who takes insurance for the particular procedure I require (most don’t). So, some percentage of the surgery’s expense will be covered, though the exact amount remains unclear. To this point, I’ve spent around $4,000 out-of-pocket on related medical expenses. I will also be incurring travel expenses because this surgeon’s practice is not local.

Unfortunately, my insurance plan doesn’t cover infertility treatments, meaning everything related to my IVF process will be an out-of-pocket expense, which I estimate at around $30,0000 per round. (And it’s often the case that multiple rounds are required to yield a pregnancy.)

This means that in the next six months, I expect to incur at least $40,000 in medical bills. My savings are just about gone, and the freelance work I’ve taken on since being laid off barely covers my monthly expenses, let alone these huge unforeseen costs. I’d like to be able to have a plan for not just paying these immediate bills, but also for saving after this job loss. I’m just not sure how to go about it.

As a result of this overwhelming financial need, I am now actively looking for a full-time job rather than sticking with freelance writing. But, because the freelance assignments I currently have—and need to retain in order to stay financially afloat—are so time-consuming, I’m having trouble finding time at all to search for a full-time job. Further pressurizing this situation is the reality that I will soon be out of commission for some amount of time due to my surgery. And if I’m very, very lucky, there will be a baby to somehow support at the end of all this struggle.

“We’ve seen layoffs across the country…people are going to wonder what to do when this happens and their best-laid plans get tossed up in the air.” —Ryan Viktorin, CFP, Fidelity Investments VP Financial Consultant

Even though the details of my situation are unique, Fidelity Investments Vice President, Financial Consultant Ryan Viktorin, CFP, says I’m not alone in navigating less-than-ideal financial circumstances these days. “We’ve seen layoffs across the country start, but it can get a lot worse in a recession,” she says. “A lot of people are going to wonder what to do when this happens and their best-laid plans get tossed up in the air. It can be very scary.”

While she and Rita Assaf, Vice President of Retirement and College Products for Fidelity Investments, agree that my situation is tough, they are able to offer guidance for managing my stress levels, triaging my finances until full-time work can be obtained, and setting me up for success in the future with regard to saving after job loss. Here are their top tips:

7 tips for creating a saving plan after job loss, according to financial professionals

1. Prioritize searching for a specific type of full-time work

First and foremost, Viktorin and Assaf tell me that my current priority—finding full-time work—is a smart one, given that it will hopefully set me up with healthy and regular pay. To this end, they point out that positions with well-established companies that have a clear business trajectory may be more likely than a startup to offer solid benefits such as retirement-saving matching and good health insurance. “Taking a job at a larger firm may provide more benefits and, therefore, stability so that you can feel like you’re climbing out of your situation,” says Viktorin.

Given the expense of IVF in my future, Viktorin also points out that some companies offer full or partial fertility benefits. So, it may make sense to research those companies specifically to see what positions they have available.

2. Figure out what I need in order to feel sane and safe during this time

Without steady income, I’ve felt more comfortable using credit cards to pay my bills so I can stay liquid rather than draining my checking and savings accounts down to nothing. (Low bank balances keep me up at night!) Assaf says this is fine if it’s helping me survive the situation with my sanity intact. “There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all advice when it comes to finances,” she says. “If, mentally, it makes sense to keep the cash, that’s totally fine!”

That said, paying mind to the interest rates my credit cards carry is key to track because those alone could lead me to acquiring debt.

3. Make the money I do have work harder for me

With that said, Assaf notes that if I am going to keep that cash in my bank account, I should look for a high-yield savings account to transfer it into. “With interest rates rising, you could get up to four percent on your cash,” she says. “So make it work for you.”

4. Keep an eye on my credit-card balances

While she doesn’t oppose my sanity-saving strategy of generating a certain amount of credit-card debt in order to keep cash on hand, Assaf does suggest being strategic about my plastic spending. “Check the annual percentage rate (APR) on your credit cards, because if it’s too high, you may be putting yourself in a bit of a pickle over time if you’re not able to make at least a minimum payment on it,” she says.

Defaulting on that minimum payment must be avoided at all costs, says Assaf, because doing so can increase interest rates on the debt and negatively impact my credit score. Furthermore, carrying a balance at all means I’m ultimately paying more than I would if I paid in cash or otherwise in full. “Having your payments auto-debited out of your account each month can help make sure you don’t miss a payment,” she says.

5. Construct an airtight new budget

Assaf and Viktorin also tell me it’s time to create a monthly budget reflective of my current circumstance. “Budgets get a bad reputation,” says Assaf. “They’re not meant to be restrictive, but rather function as guidelines to help you understand exactly how much you can spend without having to worry—and they are for people of all income levels.”

“Budgets function as guidelines to help you understand exactly how much you can spend without having to worry—and they are for people of all income levels.” —Rita Assaf, VP Retirement and College Products, Fidelity Investments

The first step, she says, is to take an inventory of what I’m spending. “Knowing what comes in and what goes out of your bank account every month is the first step in saving money,” says Assaf. “This will give you the chance to see how much you’re shelling out for essentials (think: housing costs, groceries, insurance, debt repayment) versus what you pay for nice-to-haves, like eating out or entertainment.”

Those second-category items—the “nice-to-haves”—are what then need to be cut out of my budget wherever possible during this difficult time, says Viktorin. For example, it likely makes sense to halt my (albeit, small) monthly charitable giving until I’m back on my feet with steady income and a plan to pay down debt and resume saving, she says.

She also notes that subscription fees can really add up, so it might behoove me to inventory all those fees—think Dropbox, Netflix, etc.—and see which ones can be cut for now. These are simply her suggestions for saving, however; Viktorin notes that it’s up to me to determine my priorities and alter my budget accordingly.

6. Look into fertility-related payment plans

While Assaf acknowledges that it is difficult to get insurance coverage or any type of relief for the burden of IVF costs, she says some fertility offices do offer payment plans and notes that it’s worth asking mine if this is something they do. There also may be lower rates for paying in cash. If not, I could consider calling other local IVF providers to compare costs and payment options.

Since my current strategy is to put everything on credit cards, these options would definitely be better ways to go if possible, as the debt wouldn’t accrue interest.

7. Be ready with a plan for when it’s time to start saving again

Once I’ve exited this emergency period (*prayers hands emoji*) and resumed full-time work with a steady and secure paycheck, Assaf and Viktorin say it’s key to be ready with a new savings plan to put in place.

The first step in this direction is to name and price my savings goals—what I’m saving for (e.g. retirement, a house, an emergency fund) and how much I want to save. Because many of my savings objectives will be large, Assaf recommends approaching them with baby steps. “You may want to break your biggest goals into subgoals that you can more easily accomplish within a shorter time frame,” she says.

Once these targets are set, they can be baked into my budget, says Assaf. If my goal is to put together a $30,000 emergency fund, I can back into monthly savings goals for that fund by looking at what I can afford to save each month, the amount of time I want to take to save it, or both. Whatever monthly amount I land on will then get added as a nonnegotiable line item in my budget.

When the time comes, Assaf also says being strategic about the way in which this money is saved. For example, she says, I may want to set up separate accounts for separate goals. “For short-term goals—those you plan to accomplish within three years—you may want to stick with cash held in checking, regular savings, or high-yield savings accounts and cash-like investments, such as certificates of deposit (CDs) or money market funds,” she says.

Another consideration is to put some money in a Roth IRA, which could help me save for retirement but also afford me the ability to access funds if I need them. Unlike a number of other retirement savings accounts, a Roth IRA allows for withdrawals without penalty or taxes for a number of reasons that apply to my situation, including certain medical expenses, the birth of a child, and the first-time purchase of home.

“For savings goals that are further out,” Assaf adds, “You can consider holding a portion of your savings in investment accounts based on your timeline and willingness to take on risk.”

About three percent of all babies born in the United States are twins—though those numbers have been inching up in the past two decades, increasing 76 percent from data in the 1980s to 2009, likely due to the more widespread use of fertility drugs. That said, more and more companies are creating twin-friendly products. “While there are some items you’ll need to double up on—think car seats, a safe sleep spot, baby clothes, diapers, and wipes—you don’t necessarily have to have two of everything,” says Karen Reardanz, director of editorial and brand at Babylist, a site that allows you to put any item from any site on your registry. “Some products are made specifically for twins or two kids, like double strollers, dual baby monitors, baby carriers, or breastfeeding pillows for twins.”

What’s more, the second-hand market for baby and kids’ gear is booming, adding to the options for parents with double the headcount. According to research from Mercari, a site that facilitates used items being purchased and sold, secondhand shopping for kids and babies is expected to grow 83 percent by 2030, while saving each secondhand shopper on average 67 percent. “You can score great deals on baby gear at secondhand parenting stores, Facebook marketplace, and online retailers like Goodbuy Gear,” says Reardanz. “Just make sure to follow recommended safety guidelines for used products.”

With all of that context—what do you need? What should you add to your list? What can you buy secondhand? All of that, ahead.

The stuff for the nursery

The Crib: Nestig Wave Crib — $749.00

“Consider baby gear that grows with your children or is multipurpose,” Reardanz suggests. For sustainability measures and helping extend the life of use, many brands—like Nestig—are focusing on creating products that work throughout your child’s life. The Wave converts from a mini crib to a full-size crib, to a toddler bed with just a few tool-free alterations. This keeps you from needing to buy a bassinet, then a crib, then a toddler bed, then a real bed over the span of just a few years.

→ Buy the frame secondhand, so long as its in impeccable condition

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The Crib Mattress: The Newton Baby Crib Mattress — $249.00

If you opt for a crib like Nestig, you’ll get the mini-crib mattress, but when it comes time for a full mattress, you’ll need to invest in something new. This one from Newton Baby is tested to reduce suffocation risk, and every component is fully washable, so a midnight blowout won’t blow up your entire next day.

→ Buy it new

 

 

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The Bassinet: Halo BassiNest Twin Sleeper — $485.00

For those cramped on space, or who know upfront that they want to invest in a bassinet to place near their bedside for easy nighttime feedings, you can’t do better than this option from Halo. It swivels, adjusts the height to your bed level, and includes soothing features like a nightlight, vibration, and soothing sounds.

→ Can buy it used

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The Crib Sheets: Quince Linen Crib Sheets (2-Pack) — $70.00

There are a million options for crib sheets out there, but if you’re having twins, finding sheets that come in two packs—like these from the DTC brand Quince—is a good aim. This linen set is woven from European flax and gets softer with every wash.

→ Can buy it used

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The Humidifier: Vitruvi Cloud Cool-Mist Humidifier — $229.00

I wish I could write a love poem to this humidifier: It’s the only one I’ve ever owned that doesn’t look bulky and plastic-y. Instead, it’s a sculptural piece of art that you get to have by your bedside—in this case, the babies’ bedside.

Its humidity-releasing spout rotates 360 degrees so that you get your entire room humidified. Because it doesn’t use heat, it’s safe for babies, and it’s also incredibly easy to clean, because you can remove the water bin and simply put it in the dishwasher. Best yet, you can set the run time from eight to 24 hours, depending on how much water you want to be expelled, so it’s incredibly customizable and easy to use. Writes one reviewer: “I have had so many humidifiers in my life, and this is remarkably better than any other. Not only does it look better, but it is easier to keep clean and absolutely quiet.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.

→ Can buy it used

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The Glider: Pottery Barn Kids Paxton Pillow Manual & Power Swivel Recliner, from $1399

The one piece of advice I got from my babysitting days that stuck with me a decade later was to invest in a chair that you’d want to sit in (and likely sleep in!) every night. “It’s the one thing to invest in,” my friend told me. With two babies, I wanted to choose an option that could support them both, and the oversized stature, plus pillows on this chair allow you to support two babies at once.

→ Can buy it used

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The Changing Pad: Hatch Grow Smart — $150.00

Fun fact, new moms: Babies go through about ten diapers a day at birth. That’s twenty diapers a day for twins, which obviously ups the risk factor for changing table-related messes. This option from Hatch is made from water-resistant foam, so you’re fully able to wipe it down. Extra points for an app that allows you to weigh your baby and track their growth.

→ Can buy it used

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The Diapers: Freestyle Diapers, $78/mo subscription or $90/box

With twins, one of the keys to staying armed and ready at all times is to put stuff on auto-ship. Registries like Babylist will let you create “funds” for certain expenses—or you can register for them outright. My rec when it comes to diapers is this cheeky brand, which hit the market in 2022 with its “tree-free” diapers that at once are more sustainable and absorb 55 percent better than the number one diaper. At 38 cents for each diaper in the shipment, you’re also getting an incredibly premium, soft diaper containing no leaks and no toxic chemicals, fragrances, phthalates, or allergens. As one reviewer put it, “just get them already.”

→ Buy it new

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The Diaper Pail: Munchkin UV Diaper Pail — $130.00

The second that I saw that this UV-disinfecting diaper pail had been snagged from my registry, I texted my friend who purchased it with a million prayer hand emojis in thanks. It has a self-sealing system, so poo odor doesn’t take over the house with double the diapers, and it has four UV lights that kill Staph, E. Coli, and Klebsiella, plus other odor-causing bacteria.

→ Can buy it used

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The Bouncy Chair: Maxi Cosi Kori — $140.00

Every parent who I asked for baby registry advice told me: “You’re just going to need somewhere to stick them.” This dual-purpose bouncy chair functions as a rocker when you need your kid to experience some motion to soothe them and a stationary dock where they can chill while you make dinner or do you for a sec. While you will need to buy two here, the good news is that they fold flat so you can stash them under your bed or couch when you’re not using them to reduce the amount of baby gear clutter in your life.

→ Can buy it used

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Nanit Pro Complete Monitoring System (2-Pack) — $646.00

The Nanit Pro is one of the most-awarded baby cameras on the market, and it comes in a multiple pack for twins and triplets, so you can buy and set up a single system. It’s the only system that allows you to do a split screen for twins or triplets so that you can watch both of your babies at once. Throughout the night, you’ll get movement and sound alerts if your babies are moving around, and it has sensor-free breathing monitoring so you can make sure your little one is having a restful, safe night.

→ Can buy it used

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The Noise Machine: Hatch Rest — $70.00

The color-changing orb known as the Hatch Rest has dotted my Instagram feed for years and was one of the first things to disappear from my registry from a fellow twin mom. It is app-connected and all at once a sound machine, night light, alarm clock, and sleep story library that you can set and program for your twins’ unique needs. It also makes middle-of-the-night feeding easier to manage without flipping on every switch in your place.

→ Can buy it used

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The stuff for feeding

The Breast Pump: Willow 3.0 Wearable Breast Pump — $549.00

This is the breast pump for twin moms who do not want to feel like they’re always attached to something (a baby, the wall, etc.). The Willow Breast Pump is revolutionary in that it’s completely hands-free, but has seven suction levels, all the way up to hospital grade, which helps contribute to 20 percent more milk collection. Its patented continuous latch system allows you to pump in any position, so you can take a quickie nap and pump, you can go for a walk, and hide the pump in your bra (the brand makes one that fits it perfectly, BTW), you can pump while watching TV far, far from the wall and feel your freedom. Best yet, everything is controllable and trackable from your Apple Watch or iPhone so that you can keep track of each session and your overall production. 10/10 recommend.

→ Buy it new

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The Bottle Prep: Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced — $192.00

You’re about to see back-to-back mentions for Baby Brezza, because when it comes to making twin parents’ lives easy, this brand is at the front of the pack. The Keurig of bottle makers, this machine allows you to customize feedings with three distinct temperatures and one-ounce volume increments between two and 10 ounces. Best yet? It makes every bottle without creating air bubbles in under a minute, and when time, you can completely disassemble the machine to dishwash it.

→ Can buy it used

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The Bottle Sterilizer: Baby Brezza Superfast Sterilizer Dryer — $180.00

In a mere 10 minutes, this new addition to the Baby Brezza line will sterilize your bottles, pacifiers, breast pump parts, and beyond. It does this through a six-minute steam cycle and a four-minute rapid dry cycle, so even though you’ll have extra bottles with twins, you can speedily clean them anytime you need them ready.

→ Can buy it used

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The Bottles: Philips Avent Glass Natural Baby Bottle with Natural Response Nipple — $32.00

Every body is different. Every breastfeeding experience is different. And whether or not you plan to breastfeed, supplement your supply with formula, or exclusively use formula is a personal choice you should make. My experience: After consulting with a newborn care specialist specializing in twins, I decided to breastfeed and supplement with formula. After researching the best bottles, I realized: There’s no clear consensus on which bottle is best; however, the glass option from Phillips shows up on pretty much every list.

→ Can buy it used

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The On-the-Go Bottle Warmer: Ember Baby Bottle System — $400.00

The same company that’s been keeping your coffee and tea at the perfect temp for years is now here to do the same for your babies’ bottles. This set keeps milk (breast milk, prepped formula, etc.) cool until you’re ready to use it. Then, it heats it up to a perfect 98.6, with the heating puck holding enough charge for two bottles. One caveat: For twins, the set comes with one thermal dome, so you could have one bottle prepped, but you’d need to make the other on the go (or have breast milk stored in a cool pouch for warming). Regardless, it’s a game-changing way to be able to feed your kids on the go, boob-free.

→ Can buy it used

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The Formula: Bobbie, from $40 for 2 Cans

In some corners of the internet, there are loud conversations happening about whether American formulas stand up to those found in places like Germany or the U.K. The only formula to meet both USDA and EU standards, Bobbie, hit the scene hot a few years back, and it’s likely to only get hotter as more moms and dads hear about it. Made with grass-fed cow milk, iron, a fatty acid blend of safflower, sunflower, and coconut oils, lactose, whey, and DHA, this formula goes toe-to-toe with some of the world’s best options like HIPP and Holle (two European blends that are harder to get in the U.S. and aren’t regulated by the FDA).

Bobbie is as close to breast milk as any formula sold in the states, and it can be easier on baby’s tummies than options with high concentrations of palm oil. Bobbie allows you to put your subscription on auto-renew so that you always have some on hand.

→ Buy it new

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The Solid-Food Maker: Beaba Babycook Express Baby Food Maker — $180.00

When you’re compiling your registry, it’s important to think not only of things that you’ll need immediately, but down the road. This baby food maker hits the trifecta for twins, saving you time, money, and convenience. It cooks food in as little as 15 minutes, steaming, cooking, blending, reheating, and defrosting foods while also making 23 percent more than the brand’s previous solo option. Consider this a no-brainer for twins who are starting to take real foods.

→ Can buy it used

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The Nursing Pillow: My Brest Friend for Twins — $75.00

Lactation consultants love this pillow because it encourages good posture while feeding without putting too much strain on your back or neck. And while I’d suggest putting this on your registry for that alone, I guarantee you that almost everyone who shops for you will make a warranted, ridiculous joke about the name at some point.

→ Can buy it used

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The High Chairs: Lalo The Chair — $235.00

“Finally, consider baby gear that grows with your children or is multipurpose,” says Reardanz,” for example, a high chair you can from birth to big kids.” This stylish one from Lalo does the trick. It’s convertible from a high chair to a booster seat so that when your kid has outgrown the chair, you don’t have to buy something completely new, you can simply snag the booster seat conversion kit and keep on keeping on.

→ Can buy it used

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The stuff for when you're on the go

The Stackable Stroller Uppababy Mesa + Vista System — $2,140.00

You do not need three strollers, which I want to clarify as you read the next three entries. These are simply options for you to choose from to suit your lifestyle. For people in cities like New York, where maneuvering with a stroller in and out of tight spaces is a daily occurrence, consider a stackable option like this one from Uppababy. What’s great about this stroller system is that, with just an attachment, you can stack two of the Mesa car seats on top of one another and be on your way. It also comes with rumble seats, so you can use it well into toddler years, and bassinets, which can function as a place for your babies to sleep when they’re not at home.

→ Can buy it used

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The Side-by-Side Stroller: Bugaboo Donkey 5 Twin — $1,989.00

For those unconcerned with smaller doorways, this Donkey side-by-side stroller was recommended to me time and time again. It easily fits through most standard doorways and has large puncture-proof wheels, making the ride comfy for your twins. It also comes with bassinets and rumble seats to customize the stroller as your kids age.

→ Can buy it used

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The Running Stroller Bob Revolution Flex 3.0 Duallie — $800.00

I inherited the double Bob stroller from my sister-in-law, who used it for her twins’ everyday stroller. It has mountain bike-style suspension, so it can take on any terrain, a million pockets so that you can stash water and power gels if you’re running (or whatever else if you aren’t), and it has UPF 50+ sun protection for long summer days. It’s compatible with BOB Gear, Britax, Chicco, and Graco car seats, so you can use it from the youngest days onwards.

→ Can buy it used

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The Baby Carrier: Weego Twin — $169.00

There are lots of baby carriers out there for singletons that wrap around you or that simply strap on; this one is one of the best I’ve seen for twins. It is suitable for babies as little as four pounds and works until the pair reaches a combined weight of 33 pounds. So, if you want to leave the stroller behind, this option could take you far.

→ Can buy it used

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The Car Seat: Nuna Rava Convertible Car Seat — $550.00

Reminder: One of the ways to actually save money is to buy things that can be used from birth to infinity and beyond (or, in this case, when your kids no longer need to be in a car seat). The Rava is a convertible car seat that works for babies from five pounds all the way to kids at sixty-five pounds, which means you’ll get many miles out of your seats. According to Baby Gear Lab, the Rava is a top-rated convertible option when ranked across measures of crash testing, installation, quality, and ease of use.

→ Can buy it used, but ensure that the expiration date is within range

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The Portable Crib: Uppababy Remi Playard — $350.00

There are tons of pack-and-plays on the market, but I love this one because it folds to be incredibly compact and easy to store. With an easy one-handed set-up, you can honestly throw this thing down and click it into place. It comes with an organic mattress on the bottom for your kid to take naps and sleep on the go and a changing table or bassinet up top for them to hang out when they’re babies.

→ Can buy it used

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The Diaper Bag: Dagne Dover — $215.00

Dagne Dover is known for its gym bags and easy-to-tote carry-ons—but it also offers diaper bags that range in size from small to large. The large size fits all the things you need with twins when you leave the house: your Ember bottle, all the diapers, your water bottle, and snacks galore.

→ Can buy it used

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The bath stuff

The Baby Bath: Bumble Beez The Twin Bath — $99.00

This co-bathing bathtub allows you to bathe both of your twins at once from ages zero to six months at the same time. It goes without saying that when you’re bathing two babies simultaneously, you have to be extra diligent to ensure they’re both safe and happy. Alternatively, opt for a single bath like OXO Splash and Store Bathtub ($70), which collapses down when you finish bathing your kid for easy storage.

→ Can buy it used

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The 2-in-1 Body and Hair Wash: Noodle Boo Bulk — $116.00

I buy shampoo and body wash from Noodle and Boo in bulk so that it’s always around. It has that nostalgic baby scent but is made without any nasties: parabens, phthalates, sulfates, PPGs, or dyes. It’s pH-balanced and pediatrician- and dermatologist-tested, dousing skin with moisture and leaving it clean without stripping it of moisture.

→ Buy new

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In other words, it’s a complex cycle that’s rarely talked about when it comes to prenatal care. Whether you’re trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant one day, learning about these connections is a major step in empowering yourself as a parent.

The link between maternal dental health and pregnancy care

During pregnancy, the body naturally produces more estrogen and progesterone, the main reproductive hormones. This is crucial for your baby’s development, but it can also increase your risk of gingivitis, or gum inflammation. The exact cause is unclear, but it’s thought to be related to two mechanisms: increased blood flow to the gum tissue and an exaggerated immune response to bacteria in the gums. (In fact, 60 to 75 percent of pregnant people are estimated to have gingivitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

Without treatment, gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease, also called periodontitis or gum disease. This is a serious gum infection that happens when gums recede (pull away) from the teeth. Over time, periodontal disease can cause bone and tooth damage, and ultimately, tooth loss.

But the link between pregnancy and gum problems works in the other direction, too. “There’s some evidence that having oral disease, specifically periodontal disease, places a pregnant person at increased risk of adverse birth outcomes,” explains Stefanie Russell, DDS, MPH, PhD, associate clinical professor at NYU College of Dentistry. This includes premature birth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia, according to an article published in Scientific Reports. The reason? The bacteria behind periodontal disease, along with their metabolic byproducts, affect the immune system. This can impact the rest of the body, including the reproductive system.

The risk of cavities is also higher during pregnancy

Vomiting due to morning sickness can make the mouth more acidic than usual, potentially leading to tooth erosion and paving the way for cavities. Plus, pregnancy reduces the flow of saliva, which is essential for washing away cavity-causing germs. The overall risk of cavities is further compounded by extreme food cravings and frequent snacking, according to dentist Peter Guirguis, DDS, owner of Definitive Dental.

Cavities are more than just a painful nuisance. During pregnancy, the bacterial culprits behind cavities can be passed on to your baby. This can increase the risk of your little one developing cavities in their early years, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. What’s more, having cavities during pregnancy is associated with high birth weight. This may increase the risk of delivery issues like shoulder dystocia (when the baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind your pubic bone), as well as future chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity in your child. These complications are thought to be related to the inflammation and bacteria associated with cavities, according to researchers.

Pregnancy can make it difficult to follow a solid dental hygiene routine

Understandably, the actual experience of being pregnant can make it hard to stay on top of dental hygiene habits that would otherwise keep oral issues at bay. After all, when you’re knee-deep in checklists, nursery planning, and of course, making sure your little one is healthy and well, it’s easy to unintentionally neglect your own self-care needs.

Maybe you’re so tired that brushing your teeth feels like a daunting task. Or perhaps the action triggers nausea and vomiting, which commonly happens in the first trimester. The aforementioned pregnancy-related hormonal changes can also increase bleeding in your gums, making brushing and flossing feel super unpleasant.

Why many pregnant people don’t get the dental care they need

Despite the importance of dental health during pregnancy, many pregnant people—particularly those in marginalized groups—aren’t getting the care they need.

According to Hunter Nelson, policy analyst at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, there are many barriers that can affect access to dental care. For example, pregnant individuals may have a hard time getting to a health clinic due to lack of transportation, or there might be no clinic at all due to “redlining, discriminatory zoning, and other policies and practices that [have] placed little to no resources in neighborhoods of color,” Nelson says. In some cases, people might mistrust the healthcare system due to historical discrimination and trauma, she adds.

Additionally, employment and education discrimination and generational cycles of poverty have led to a lack of oral health providers of color, making it difficult for certain groups to find providers they can relate to, says Nelson. High uninsurance rates among marginalized communities, especially Hispanic women, can add another major obstacle.

Nelson expounds further: “While dental insurance is a required Essential Health Benefit for children, it’s not a required benefit for adults under the Affordable Care Act. Therefore, most adult insurance plans—such as those that people get from their employer—don’t include dental coverage, which makes it hard for people whose employers don’t offer a stand-alone dental plan to get care.” She adds that the federal government recently issued a request for information about people’s health insurance benefits, so now is a good time to share your insights on the importance of having dental coverage as a required health insurance benefit.

For those with access to dental care, dentist visits may be hindered by other hurdles, such as scheduling conflicts. For instance, if a single parent can’t find care for other children, they may have a hard time visiting the obstetrician, let alone the dentist, says Dr. Guirguis.

Moreover, “there are many widespread misconceptions that dental procedures may be dangerous during pregnancy, and I’ve spoken with dental providers whose patients stopped visiting after becoming pregnant,” shares Melissa LuVisi, chief strategy officer of tab32, a cloud-based dental technology platform that strives to close healthcare gaps for patients. “My own experience [during pregnancy] has shown that sometimes providers will hold off on procedures, even though there is research showing that it would have been safe.”

Dr. Russell echoes this notion, adding that it’s completely safe to receive routine and emergency care during pregnancy. “Sometimes dentists are not comfortable providing dental treatment during pregnancy, as they’ve been trained at a time when the belief was that dental care should only be provided during the second trimester,” explains Dr. Russell. However, this approach is outdated, and it can be risky for both the parent and developing child if the necessary dental care is not given, she says.

Dental health resources for pregnant people

So, how can the system minimize these gaps between dental health and prenatal care? According to Nelson, change must occur on multiple levels: Community and economic development can help bring oral health clinics to underserved communities, while Medicaid and private health coverage plans need to provide more equitable coverage of oral health care.

It’s also crucial to provide more oral health education for pregnant people, which “could include resources or training to support conversations between pregnant people and their primary care provider, doula or midwife, obstetrician, etc.,” says Nelson. LuVisi adds, “we need more collaboration between dentists and maternal healthcare practitioners, more partnerships between dental offices and community health organizations.” Together, these institutions can help spread the importance of dental health in prenatal care, particularly in marginalized communities.

“Groups like Dental Lifeline Network are partnering with dentists to provide free and low-cost services to vulnerable populations, such as disabled and elderly people,” says LuVisi. “Other organizations, like The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University, are trying to close knowledge gaps by training oral health professionals to better address common problems in maternal and pediatric care.”

Additional resources include the Children’s Dental Health Project and March of Dimes, which provide educational materials for pregnant parents. There’s also Protect Tiny Teeth, a campaign created by the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC to help dental professionals play a stronger role in parent education. Additionally, it’s worth looking into local WIC clinics and community health organizations, should they be available in your area.

Staying on top of your dental health can be challenging when you’re expecting a new family member. Fortunately, there are resources available and organizations that are working to help more pregnant individuals get the care they need.

Equal Pay Day’s March 14 date is by design—it symbolizes how far into the New Year a person who identifies as woman would have to work to make what a man-identifying person made the prior year. However, that date pushes back even further when the numbers are stratified by race and ethnicity: for Black women, the date becomes July 27; for Latinx women, it’s October 5; and for Native American women, it’s November 30.

It’s worth noting that these statistics also lack some much-needed nuance. They don’t factor in the costs of invisible labor, for instance, which disproportionately falls on the shoulders of people who identify as women. That labor includes components that are physical (like housework), mental (such as managing the family calendar), and emotional (as in maintaining a healthy relationship with their partner). In short, the contributions to society from woman-identifying people continues to be grossly undervalued.

Widening the pay disparity even further? Motherhood. There’s even a name for the phenomenon: It’s called the “Motherhood Penalty,” a term sociologists coined in 2001 research. Full-time working mothers typically make 74 percent of what fathers make, according to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). That’s due to a number of factors, including breaks in employment to give birth and care for children and—shocker!—sexism.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 24, 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, we may see that pay gap grow, says Andrea Johnson, a lawyer and director of state policy, workplace justice, and cross-cutting initiatives at NWLC.

“The decision to have an abortion impacts a person’s financial well-being, their job security, their workforce participation, and educational attainment.” —Andrea Johnson, National Women’s Law Center

“The decision to have an abortion impacts a person’s financial well-being, their job security, their workforce participation, and educational attainment,” says Johnson. “These points in life where you have opportunities to make your family more economically secure are really put at risk when you don’t have that ability to decide if, when, and how to have a family.”

Indeed, the financial implications of restricting abortion access reach further and wider than a weekly paycheck (though that is an undeniable biggie). What are the costs that women and birthing people will likely face in a post-Roe world? We spoke with experts to learn the financial effects of overturning Roe v. Wade.

Deepening the class divide

The Dobbs decision upended nearly 50 years of precedent set by Roe v. Wade; it removed the constitutional right to an abortion, giving states the power to regulate aspects of abortion not covered by federal law. As a result, abortion is now illegal in 12 states, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. The ruling was a crushing blow to the right to reproductive health care and bodily autonomy for folks with a vagina, to be sure, but the reality is, abortion access had become increasingly restrictive in many states in the years leading up to the ruling, due in large part to gestational limits.

One study found that in 2020 (i.e., pre-Dobbs), the shortest gestational limits in the U.S. were set at eight weeks. Yet, according to the research program Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, at least one-third of birthing people don’t know they are pregnant until they’re six weeks along. (People of color and people living with food insecurity are more likely to find out past seven weeks, research has shown.) That means that in the states with the strictest laws, a pregnant person would have only had a week or two to decide to have an abortion, find a facility, investigate costs and potential insurance coverage, and plan for the appointment.

The financial component of that tight timeline is notable because the birthing people most affected by limits and bans—both pre-Dobbs and now—are those from poor (living at less than the federal poverty level) and low-income (living at 100 to 199 percent of the poverty level) households, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

“When your state bans abortion, it becomes a matter of whether you can travel out of state fast enough or financial resources to order pills online.” —Diana Greene Foster, PhD, reproductive sciences professor, UCSF

“People who have resources can get care quicker,” says Diana Greene Foster, PhD, professor in residence at University of California, San Francisco Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. “When your state bans abortion, it becomes a matter of whether you can travel out of state fast enough, or if you have all the information and financial resources to order pills online.”

The notion of traveling for an abortion incurs a number of considerations and financial costs for a pregnant person. After finding an abortion provider (a hurdle all its own, given that a single facility may serve its own state in addition to several abortion-ban states), there’s the matter of securing transportation for what could amount to a multi-day trip.

For instance, in Houston, where abortion has been banned completely, one of the closest full-service abortion facilities is nearly 800 miles away in Carbondale, Illinois, according to Sheila Katz, PhD, associate professor of sociology at University of Houston and author of the book Reformed American Dreams: Welfare Mothers, Higher Education, and Activism. Dr. Katz notes that many low-income pregnant people do not have the resources, like a car, to make the trip. There’s also the prospect of taking time off from work, which could pose issues from both a lost paycheck and job-security perspective. “It’s very common for a boss [in low-paying jobs] to say, ‘Well, if you need those two days off, you might as well just not come back,’” Dr. Katz explains.

Then there’s the matter of who will watch the kids who may already be in the home. Research shows that 60 percent of people who seek abortions have already had at least one child. That child would not be allowed to accompany the mother into the procedure. If a family member or friend isn’t able to babysit, that could be another added cost (if not a total non-starter).

Once you also factor in travel expenses, including gas, lodging, and food, and the bill becomes nearly insurmountable for someone working, say, a minimum wage job. That doesn’t even include the cost of the abortion itself, which, if not covered by insurance, averages out to $575.

Adding to the already existing racial disparities in abortion access, the Hyde Amendment bans federal funds from being used for abortion in 34 states and the District of Columbia. This means people on Medicaid—which covers a disproportionate share of people who are Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—will not have their abortion care covered in these areas.

And according to Dr. Katz’s research involving low-income women in California, few have someone to whom they can turn to borrow the money they need to travel or pay for an abortion. “In my research, I asked low-income women, ‘If you need a small amount of cash, less than $50, who could you ask?’ Two-thirds of them said no one,” Dr. Katz says. When she upped the ante to $500, only one out of the 45 respondents (a woman who grew up in a middle-class family but qualified for welfare after becoming pregnant) said they would have someone to turn to.

In that case, anti-abortion activists would surely argue that the best course of action for a pregnant person under financial duress would be to have the baby and put it up for adoption. But that’s rarely what happens, and that sentiment completely ignores the physical and emotional tolls of nine months of pregnancy.

“Very few people choose to place a child for adoption—less than 10 percent of those who are denied an abortion,” says Dr. Foster, who studies the effect of unplanned pregnancy on birthing people’s lives. “Choosing to have an abortion over carrying a pregnancy to term makes a lot of sense, given the very real physical health risks of pregnancy and childbirth.” (The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income countries, according to the Guttmacher Institute, and those rates among Black and Native American people are three and two times higher, respectively, than those among white people, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which cites health-care inequalities and systemic racism as causes.)

So then what? If a person can’t afford an abortion, what kind of financial future can they expect after giving birth and raising their child?

A murky monetary outlook

In 2008, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco began recruiting birthing people for a study unlike any that had been undertaken before. With the help of 30 abortion facilities across the U.S., 1,000 abortion seekers—some who received abortions and some who were turned away because they fell outside the gestational limits and went on to give birth—were identified and accepted into the study. Over the course of five years (up through 2016), research assistants interviewed the participants periodically about all aspects of their life, including their mental health and financial standing.

The findings of the Turnaway Study (published in the 2020 book The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women and the Consequences of Having – or Being Denied – an Abortion, authored by Dr. Foster, who led the study) revealed that it’s not just abortion seekers who face steep financial obstacles after being denied. Rather, their immediate family and, by extension, future generations also experience a trickle-down effect.

“A leading reason for abortion is wanting to take care of kids that she already has,” says Dr. Foster. “Those existing kids do worse if their mom is denied an abortion—we see it in [the kids’] ability to achieve developmental milestones, and we see it in the [reduced] chance that that kid is living in a household with enough resources for basic living needs.”

The costs of raising a child, which according to estimates from the Brookings Institute, now amount to nearly $311,000 over the course of 17 years.

The long-term ramifications are clear: Participants who were denied an abortion were four times more likely to live under the federal poverty level and three times more likely to be unemployed, according to the study. They were also more likely to experience a drop in their credit scores and an increase in debt, as well as more negative financial actions like bankruptcy and eviction on their record—all of which affect a person’s ability to get future lines of credit and housing. Children born because their parent couldn’t get an abortion are more likely to live below the federal poverty level than the children later born to a parent who had received an earlier abortion.

Then there are the actual costs of raising a child, which according to estimates from the Brookings Institute, now amount to nearly $311,000 over the course of 17 years. And that doesn’t include the cost of college or a transition into adulthood.

Further complicating matters is the lack of a social safety net: Birthing parents who live in states with abortion bans also tend to have fewer programs to help them. “There’s no support for women once they have the baby,” says Dr. Katz. “The welfare rules in Texas are some of the most stringent in the entire country. Even if the baby is able to get on to federal programs, like WIC or Medicaid, the mother is not.”

Dr. Foster agrees: “We have the worst support for young children and parents in this country,” she says. “There’s an appalling lack of health care, lack of paid leave, lack of childcare… We see an increase in use of public assistance, but it is very short-lived, and that’s because there are still some states that time you out, even if your household is in need and there’s not enough money to pay for housing and food. It’s just grotesque. This is a moral issue, regardless of abortion.”

One small glimmer of hope may be expanded access to preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, which President Biden called for in his State of the Union address this year and included in his 2024 budget proposal (though earlier attempts to pass pre-K program legislation through Congress were unsuccessful). Yet, experts agree that affordable childcare is an important factor in a person’s ability to care for and support a child—whether they were planned or not.

“Lack of high quality, affordable childcare is a massive issue and contributor to the wage gap,” says Johnson. “It deeply impacts women’s ability to participate in the workforce and the number of hours they can work, if they don’t have reliable childcare.”

Ultimately, women and all birthing people will always be at a disadvantage—physically, emotionally, and financially—if they don’t have full autonomy over their reproductive health.

“Being denied an abortion you seek has years of negative impact on your financial and broader wellbeing,” says Leila Abolfazli, a lawyer and director of national strategy on abortion rights at NWLC. “This goes to the whole point of women knowing what’s right for them; they know their lives. It impacts their current children and has negative implications for their family. This is why, in the end, I think people really support the right to abortion because the decision about whether to bring a child into your family is so fundamental to your future.”

I took to Google to start gathering information about steps involved for me to become pregnant via intrauterine insemination (IUI) with donor sperm and also to research the associated price tags. Quickly, I grew overwhelmed. While Ashley and I are hardly alone in seeking medical intervention to help us have a baby. Fertility has become a full-blown industry estimated at $8 billion; it provides options for the great many people navigating infertility and people who are in relationships (or single!) such that medical help is needed to make a baby. It’s great that medical innovation has provided so much opportunity, but, wow, is it expensive. Here’s what I learned

The cost of getting pregnant as a lesbian couple

To dive right in, at minimum, one vial of sperm would cost between $1,195 and $1,895 at the California Cryobank, which is what we planned to use. And they recommend buying four vials per desired child. If you anticipate wanting multiple children from the same donor? Well, simple math reveals how quickly and steeply those numbers climb. That price also doesn’t include upsells like $145 to $250 for a 90-day subscription to learn more about the donor with things like photos, or additional $25 à la carte items, like an audio conversation.

Then comes the actual baby-making part. The cost of an in-clinic insemination, which is recommended, is not covered by most insurance plans (including my own) and can cost upwards of $3,000 per try. That fee doesn’t include consultation costs, additional medication, and testing.

Yes, you could save money with a DIY at-home intracervical insemination (ICI), often called the “turkey baster” approach (despite not actually using that kitchen tool). But, Ashley and I decided there’s value in going with IUI. A small study found IUI to be three times more likely to result in pregnancy than ICI, and while the procedure itself is expensive, so is the sperm we’d be handling. Furthermore, given our end goal of a successful pregnancy, we figured those stats give compelling reason to pay for professional assistance.

For those who aren’t yet ready to conceive or want to have multiple children from the same sperm donor, I learned storage fees can run between $285 for six months to $3,000 for 10 years. (Many banks do have a “buy-back” policy that allows you to return any unused vials for half-off the purchase price. Many also have financing options.)

Unless you’re lucky to work at a company that offers fertility benefits, or in a state that requires insurance coverage for infertility, your insurance won’t necessarily cover a dime. Unfortunately, as a self-employed people in California, my wife and I were on our own.

What became clear after doing some research and crunching numbers is that the we’d be spending at least $12,000 on sperm for two kids, insemination not included.

What became clear after doing some research and crunching numbers is that the we’d be spending at least $12,000 on sperm for two kids, insemination not included. I started to feel discouraged, and talking with friends who’d gone through the process—with varying results—made me feel both better and worse. On the one hand, I appreciated that I didn’t feel alone, but on the other, understanding the likelihood that we’d likely need to try for multiple rounds felt daunting.

Since beginning our fertility journey, Ashley and I have found our perfect-for-us sperm donor, and we feel lucky about that. Even so, the road ahead remains fraught with anxious feelings and uncertainty. And the financial component of it all is inextricably intertwined. However, information is power, and I feel armed with that. In an effort to identify silver linings of personal growth, I’ve identified five financial takeaways from this experience, thus far.

5 financial wellness takeaways of planning my fertility journey

1. Reminder: I can ask for what I am worth

Examining my finances to prep for this fertility journey forced me to revisit my relationship with money. As I examined my earnings, I could see where, despite my work with Ladies Get Paid centering on advocating for your financial worth, I wasn’t being my best advocate, and I needed to raise my prices. My fees needed an upgrade, and I needed to not feel badly about that. Doing it for my future child somehow made this easier.

2. I can probably trim certain expenses in my life

I believe that when you add something new to your life, you should look for what to subtract in order to make room for it. Given how expensive this whole process was proving to be, my decluttering started with my bank account, identifying all the various ways I was leaking money like subscriptions and apps I wasn’t using, and Amazon returns that were just sitting around the house.

3. It’s possible for hobbies to generate income

Decluttering around the house actually led to some extra income selling old books, clothes, and furniture. That, in turn, sparked a whole new side hustle revenue stream of reselling things from thrift shops and estate sales, which is something my wife and I are now doing on the weekends.

4. Everything is negotiable

From the cost of the ultrasound to consultations with fertility doctor, I was able to work out a solution that either reduced the fee or allowed me to pay in installments.

5. Financial shame is a real thing

As a small business owner, I work to remind myself that just staying in business is a measure of success. Even so, it’s hard not to fault myself for not doing better. This fertility process has opened up feelings of shame for me, and while rough, it has also provided an opportunity to work toward healing.

Finances aside, my greatest personal takeaway from this whole process was learning how to straddle a having a plan to set ourselves up for success and allowing things to unfold as they will. I believe whoever our child ends up being, wherever they come from, and however much they cost, they will be a miracle—worth every penny of investing in the fertility process.

This is all to say, if you’ve recently had a baby, you may be wondering what to do right now to avoid pregnancy until you’re ready to conceive again (if that’s something you want). Should you immediately go back on the same form of birth control you used before your pregnancy? Should you try an IUD instead? If you don’t have a regular period again, does it even matter?

We asked a few OB/GYNs and fertility pros to share the ins and outs of going back on birth control after childbirth so you can take the guesswork out of the equation and just focus on you and your new baby.

First, know that you can get pregnant almost immediately after giving birth

Though it’s unlikely, you can get pregnant again as early as three weeks after childbirth. To be fair, it’s entirely normal if you don’t want to have sex quite so soon after giving birth—and most OB/GYNs recommend waiting until at least six weeks to allow the body to heal.

But once you are getting intimate again, another pregnancy is entirely possible. “Right after you give birth, the body is undergoing drastic changes in hormones,” says Nicole Avena, PhD, author of What to Eat When You’re Pregnant as well as a professor of neuroscience specializing in nutrition at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Specifically, progesterone and estrogen both drop significantly following childbirth. And while your hormones may continue to fluctuate for at least six weeks postpartum (what’s commonly referred to as the fourth trimester), you can very much still get pregnant during this time, she adds.

That’s true no matter if you haven’t had a period or are actively breastfeeding—two common misconceptions, says Rachel Danis, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist at RMA of New York. “I have seen women get pregnant very quickly after delivery because, even though they haven’t had a regular cycle, they’re forgetting that you don’t need to have a regular cycle to ovulate,” Dr. Danis says.

Upon delivery, there’s a steep rise in the hormone prolactin, which is released from the brain to your breast tissue in order to produce breast milk, Dr. Danis explains. This increase in prolactin causes a suppression or a decrease in the production of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). When those two hormones are not actively being released from your pituitary gland, you’re not going to start having a cyclical, or predictable menstrual cycle, she adds.

Actively breastfeeding will sustain your prolactin production, which could prevent menstruation, but “you can still have a sporadic ovulation,” says Dr. Danis. “You ovulate two weeks before a period, so you may think you haven’t ovulated because you haven’t had a period, but yes you certainly could have ovulated.”

There are risks associated with getting pregnant again too soon

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends avoiding another pregnancy entirely within six months after giving birth and cautions of “adverse outcomes” associated with getting pregnant before 18 months postpartum, including uterine rupture for those who previously had a cesarean delivery.

The window of time for the greatest concern is actually rather short, though. “If you’re getting pregnant within six weeks of your last delivery, then the mom is at risk of all of the things that women are at risk for when they’re pregnant, but even more so because they have the fourth trimester [postpartum period] plus this new first trimester,” says Dr. Danis. ”So you’re at a higher risk of blood clots, which is number one, and getting a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy; your cardiovascular volume is increased and your respiratory reserve in your lungs is lower. All of that is exacerbated when you’re pregnant.”

Still, ACOG also reports that one in three people who give birth do get pregnant again before the optimal 18-month mark, and experts emphasize that there’s no need to panic if this happens to you. “It is important to not worry and keep in close communication with your healthcare provider as they can answer questions and monitor any changes,” Dr. Avena says. The most common things to be aware of are low birth weight, preterm birth, and small size for gestational age, she adds. And of course, there’s a chance you simply may not know you are pregnant again, especially if you have yet to return to a typical-for-you menstrual cycle and period, Dr. Danis adds. So, getting prenatal care ASAP is key.

So, when should you get back on birth control?

Getting back on birth control postpartum will not only help prevent an unplanned pregnancy, but protect you from the increased health risks of back-to-back pregnancies. Plus, depending on the type you choose, you can start as quickly as the same day you give birth.

You can have an IUD inserted within the first 10 minutes after delivering your baby and placenta while you’re still in the hospital, Dr. Danis says. “I personally love [opting for the IUD] immediately because the person typically has an epidural or some sort of anesthesia whether you’re having a vaginal delivery or a c-section,” she says. “IUDs are the best. It’s a set it and forget it [type of birth control]. They last for seven to 10 years, but you don’t have to keep it in for that long. Even if you just want it for two years, keep it in for two years.”

ACOG cautions against going on an estrogen-containing birth control, such as the pill, vaginal ring, or patch, for the first couple of weeks postpartum since these may increase your risk of a blood clot.  This type of birth control could also diminish your breast milk supply, but as long as there is proper nipple stimulation and consistent feeding or pumping, the difference should be negligible, Dr. Danis says.

While your doctor may discuss birth control options during your six-week postpartum appointment, Dr. Danis cautions against waiting that long to get back on birth control due to all of the risks of early, unplanned pregnancy. The ACOG takes this recommendation one step further, noting that a good time to choose a postpartum birth control method is when you’re still pregnant.

Regardless of which type of birth control you choose or when you decide to go back on birth control after having a baby, you will need a back-up barrier method for the first five to seven days. This allows your body adjusts to the new method, and solves for any lapse in protection, Dr. Danis says, who cautions that even a slight deviation from taking a birth control pill as prescribed can impact its efficacy. That means, for the first week starting any kind of birth control (pill, IUD, or otherwise), or switching birth control types or brands, you’ll also need to use a condom.

While maternal mortality affects women and birthing parents of all backgrounds, the rate is disheartening when it comes to Black women. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With data confirming that the pandemic has only worsened the maternal mortality rate for Black women, the root of the issue remains the same: racism and implicit racial bias. Though hard to prove, implicit racial bias — an unconscious attitude or assumption rooted in racial stereotypes — allows health care providers to dismiss any discomfort Black women encounter when laboring or assert dominance over them at their most vulnerable state, among other harmful acts. And this treatment leads to a number of childbirth issues, namely cesarean birth risks, like anesthesia complications, infection and hemorrhaging —all of which can have fatal results.

Abigail and Antonia Opiah, co-founders of Un-ruly, a hair-care site for Black women, decided to work on a solution. The sisters, both in their late 30s, partnered with Tomi Akitunde, founder ofmater mea, a premier destination for Black motherhood, and well-known children’s nutrition brand Gerber to createOverdue. Launched in September 2022, the online pregnancy and postpartum education platform for Black moms-to-be offers video and written content with Ebony Harvey, RN and birth doula.

Studies show that a doula, a trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to an expectant mother throughout the pregnancy, during labor, and after child birth, improves birth outcomes for pregnant and birthing people and their babies. According to a 2019 report by reproductive justice organization Village Birth International and Ancient Song Doula Services, in collaboration with Every Mother Counts, doula care for pregnant women means they are less likely to require a cesarean birth or use pain medication, and more likely to have a shorter labor and give birth spontaneously.

Providing expectant mothers with accessible information is key to tackling the maternal health crisis, says Antonia. “Overdue was built on the goal of giving women the insights that a doula would provide, in terms of how to navigate their pregnancy, and also how to navigate being in a hospital, if you choose a hospital birth,” she says.

Harvey, who refers to herself as “your pregnancy bestie,” agrees, acknowledging that Black women can have a voice in how they decide to handle their birthing experience. “Overdue addresses Black maternal mortality by providing mothers and expecting mothers a place to gather information that they would have otherwise not been provided,” says the holistic fertility and birth doula. “The platform provides a space of joy, of peace, of calmness, while at the same time giving you education and information that can guide you through this journey.”

Overdue provides content that speaks to each part of a birthing person’s journey—pregnancy, birth, and postpartum—so they have the tools and resources to have a safe and fulfilling experience at each milestone. In the opening video, moms-to-be meet Harvey, their virtual doula, who encourages them to be informed and empowered as they move through each trimester. The warm brown, cream, and green tones in the videos are mirrored throughout Overdue’s platform, creating an aesthetically-pleasing and comfortable environment to learn at one’s own pace. Addressing topics like mind-body connection and self care, developing a birthing plan and team, strategies to effectively advocate for yourself during labor, and postpartum healing, the platform leaves no birth topic untouched. In addition to the comfort and thorough information provided, another similarity to the support of an in-person doula is emotional reassurance. For instance, in the “Using Comfort Measures During Labor” video, Harvey walks expectant mother, Jeneize, and the viewer through several support and breathing techniques that can be used during labor and checks in with Jeneize by asking, “do those positions feel good for you?” and “you ready?” What’s missing in terms of the physical presence is accounted for in Harvey’s overall delivery, as well as Overdue’s extensive articles and guides.

This free, comprehensive resource fills an existing void in access to doula services. The price of doula services largely depends on a person’s location, but in big cities, such as Los Angeles and New York, it’ll cost families up to $2,500. In smaller locales, doulas charge around $800. Most insurance companies don’t cover the costs of doula services, leading moms-to-be to opt-out of exploring doula care altogether. However, eight states—Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island and Virginia—and Washington, D.C provide Medicaid coverage for doula care. Six more states are expected to follow suit, but an accessible resource, like Overdue, means expectant parents don’t have to wait to make the best decision for the birthing parent and baby.

In its current state, Overdue has shown that Black birthing people have the agency to shape their pregnancy and childbirth, by giving tips (with no judgment) centering birth plans, comfort measures, and how to advocate for their own well-being. And the platform will continue to find ways to offer accessible material to guide them via both written and video content, as well as Instagram Live and Zoom conversations discussing all things prenatal and postpartum. Last year, they gifted doula services, totaling $4,000, to two women, allowing the women to select a doula in their area and choose the type of care that best fit their needs. Overdue plans to do the same in 2023.

“[Black people are] looking at their birth in a new way as a result of this content,” shares Antonia on the feedback Overdue has received via social media. “This project can give women an idea of birthing experiences that aren’t traumatic; that are more than traumatic, they’re enjoyable and positively memorable.”

This story is a part of Black [Well] Being, examining the state of Black health and well-being in the U.S.—and those working to change outcomes for the better. Click here to read more.

At first, I thought this was regular, run-of-the-mill morning sickness. But after a few days, it became clear my symptoms started each time I had one of my three-a-day gummies. Did my prenatal vitamins and nausea go hand-in-hand?  I switched vitamin brands to find out. Then I switched again. And again. Some seemed a little better, some a little worse, but I was unwell after taking every single one.

Physically, I felt horrible, and even more troubling, I wasn’t able to play with my two-year-old. I was barely eating and could hardly get out of bed most days. I kept reminding myself of all the good my vitamins were doing for baby #2: lowering the risk of neural tube defects, supporting the development of the placenta, helping to develop my little one’s lungs, and so on. Even so, I was struggling every day. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep taking the vitamins.

I started asking my mom-friends for advice and found that, unfortunately, many pregnant people have similar side effects to prenatal vitamins. (Even singer Halsey said she had to stop taking her vitamins while pregnant because “the vomiting got really bad.”)

“It’s not uncommon to have patients not tolerate or have, particularly, gastrointestinal distress in early pregnancy associated with their prenatal vitamin intake,” says Anne Waldrop, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine fellow at Stanford University Hospital. She adds that this is “unfortunate” because vitamins are “evidence-based to help keep those patients: moms and their fetuses, healthy.”

But not all prenatals will cause the same reactions. Meleen Chuang, MD, an OB-GYN at NYU Langone Health, explains, “Depending on the type of extra supplementation, certain types of prenatal vitamins may cause more gastrointestinal side effects than other types of prenatal, particularly if there is extra iron, calcium or other minerals,” she says.

I wanted to learn more about negative reactions to prenatal vitamins, what parents should know about their prenatal nutrition, and what can be done to help.

Switch up how you take your iron supplements

Iron is an important nutrient during pregnancy: not only is it used to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the growing fetus, but it also helps the baby’s brain development. So, it’s particularly unfortunate that this supplement is said to make morning sickness symptoms worse.

“Having an iron-rich prenatal vitamin can certainly be a likely culprit for gastrointestinal issues,” Dr. Waldrop says. “Some patients have nausea, constipation, diarrhea, or nausea and vomiting concurrently.”

Still, there’s hope. If a pregnant person is having gastrointestinal trouble, Dr. Waldrop suggests choosing an iron-free prenatal and then adding a second iron-only vitamin to the mix. Separating the iron from the rest of the nutrients could provide some relief, as Dr. Waldrop notes that iron supplements don’t need to be taken daily. Studies have shown that this nutrient can actually be absorbed better when taken every other day. So, if iron continues to cause stomach issues—at least the parent-to-be only needs to deal with side effects for half the week.

Meanwhile, Lizzy Swick, a registered dietitian based in Montclair, New Jersey, says that taking two different pills may not be necessary. She points out that some people will experience a negative reaction to a particular type of iron, not iron itself. “Some women will better tolerate a form of iron called iron bisglycinate, known commercially as Ferrochel,” she says.

So, sometimes simply switching to a new prenatal brand, with different ingredients, will do the trick. Some experts saying having some ginger can also help.

Don’t be alarmed by higher levels of nutrients in prenatal vitamins

More than a month into my prenatal vitamin troubles, I stood in my kitchen, inspecting the nutrition labels of all five brands of prenatal vitamins I’d tried in the past few weeks. To my surprise, each nutrition panel was completely unique.

Not only did the ingredients vary, but the percentages for each item were different from brand to brand. One contained about 150 percent of each vitamin’s daily recommended value. Others had 200 percent or 300 percent on nearly every line. This, I was certain, was my problem: I’d been taking supplements that contained way too many nutrients for my sensitive stomach, and now, my body was rebelling.

Luckily, experts say that higher percentages in prenatal vitamins aren’t generally something to worry about.

Swick explains that while large doses of certain vitamins can indeed be dangerous, elevated levels of the nutrients found in prenatal vitamins shouldn’t cause any serious harm to a pregnant person or their baby. She explains that some companies incorporate higher levels of nutrients simply as a way to lower costs. “If the form of the vitamin isn’t the active, bio-available form, chosen to save money by the company, they’ll include higher amounts should there be a conversion problem,” she says.

Dr. Chuang notes that vitamin takers will simply urinate out the excess, water-soluble, nutrients. “This is why your urine smells different when taking prenatal vitamins,” she says.

Choose high-quality prenatal vitamins

Like other dietary supplements in the United States, over-the-counter prenatal vitamins do not require U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. A lack of third-party testing can be unsettling for any avid vitamin-taker, but for someone growing a tiny person, this fact can be downright stressful.

So, before choosing a supplement, Dr. Waldrop suggests asking an OB-GYN for advice. If the parent-to-be is already taking a supplement, she recommends bringing the bottle to the doctor. “Let them review that you’re getting the daily doses recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force,” she says.

Further, Swick warns that some vitamins contain unwanted ingredients. “Supplements often contain unnecessary filler and additives to help keep costs down during the manufacturing process,” she explains. Still, finding a safe, effective prenatal vitamin isn’t too difficult. She suggests looking for vitamins that are NSF or GMP certified.

Of course, pregnant people may want to do a little research on their own as well. When choosing a vitamin, Swick lists questions to help find the best brands: “Does the product contain the actual form or amount of nutrients it says it does? Are there heavy metals or do the heavy metals exceed the acceptable limits? Is the company willing to share any analysis on heavy metals or pesticide use?”

“The ideal company is transparent and has nothing to hide,” she adds.

Remember that each pregnancy is different

While I’ve learned that there are plenty of reasons why prenatal vitamins could make someone ill. I was frustrated with and even confused about my symptoms. After all, I hadn’t had any negative reaction to vitamins when I was pregnant with my first. So, what changed?

Dr. Waldrop simply says that different symptoms are to be expected in different pregnancies. “The reality is, every pregnancy is unique and there can also be drastic differences between a first, second, and third pregnancy.”

Plus, Swick points out that many people report their second pregnancy being harder than the first because they’re entering subsequent pregnancies in a nutrient-depleted state. “It’s harder to focus on your nutrition and self-care when you’re chasing after a toddler, sleep-deprived, overworked, or financially challenged,” she says.

I tried these expert-backed tips and eventually felt better

When it came to my own vitamin journey, I was happy to take these experts’ advice: I tried taking an iron supplement separate from an iron-free prenatal. I tried taking my gummies with bigger meals, and I asked my OB-GYN for brand recommendations. While some of it helped, I still felt a little nauseous every day after taking a vitamin. I started to wonder if I was simply going to feel crummy for nine months.

Then, one day, around my 14th week of pregnancy, I woke up, took a vitamin, and felt fine. The symptoms were gone. Days after, I started craving (and taking) the fruity flavor of the gummy vitamins I’d started out with: the same ones that had me curled up in bed, wanting to skip vitamins altogether just a couple of months before.

I wasn’t sure what happened. Maybe I’d finally figured out the right combination of food, timing, and brand. Or maybe, in the second trimester, my body adjusted to my higher hormones and my stomach wasn’t responding so drastically. Either way, I was glad I could finally take my vitamins comfortably.

Now, in my third trimester, I’m glad I didn’t give up on my prenatal vitamins. So far, my pregnancy has been healthy and I hope my determination to keep taking my vitamins has played some part in that. “Nutrition is quite humbling in how powerful a lever it is for human health,” Swick says. “Yet, it’s also only one component of many that shape the outcomes of our health and our children’s health.”

According to this new study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, pregnant people who followed the Mediterranean diet during the time of conception and through pregnancy reduced their risk of preeclampsia by 28 percent.

“Preeclampsia during pregnancy or postpartum can cause your blood pressure to rise and put you at risk for stroke,” said Nidhi Mehta, MD, a cardiologist at Lehigh Valley Health Heart and Vascular Institute in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “It can impair kidney and liver function, cause fluid in the lungs, seizures, and, if untreated, maternal and infant death. It can also lead to smaller or prematurely born babies.”

Dr. Mehta adds that the preeclampsia rate is 60 percent higher in Black women than in white women, and Black women are more likely to develop severe preeclampsia. The study also noted that women over the age of 35 saw better outcomes when eating on the Mediterranean diet, and it also reduced the risk of gestational diabetes.

What is the Mediterranean diet, exactly?

This anti-inflammatory diet primarily consists of fish, olive oil, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and nuts, with a heavy emphasis on consuming whole foods. It is modeled after the eating habits of those who live close to the Mediterranean sea and draws inspiration from the diets of Greece, Italy, France, and Spain.

A key characteristic and benefit of the diet is the limit of processed and refined sugars. People on the diet reduce their white sugar, butter, and starch intake, replacing them with fiber-heavy foods like brown rice, farro, and lentils.

A typical day of eating on the Mediterranean diet consists of three meals and snacks in between. Breakfast is usually some form of Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts, followed by a meat-free lunch like a salad with hummus and lots of vegetables, and dinner is often a roasted salmon or chicken with more vegetables and grains.

What does the research show?

To better understand how the Mediterranean diet might impact pregnancy and potential complications, researchers looked at data from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study. The study enrolled 10,038 women who were pregnant for the first time and were in their first trimester, and before beginning the study, they were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their food habits and frequency of eating. Their responses were then categorized and monitored.

What they found was that women who more closely followed a Mediterranean diet were 21 percent less likely to have any pregnancy-related adverse outcome, 28 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia, and 37 percent less likely to develop gestational diabetes.

“These findings do not surprise me. These dietary patterns focus on minimizing processed meats which are high in sodium, and ultra-processed foods which are high in sugar and high in fat, which are known to increase oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in the blood vessels,” said Dr. Mehta, which may contribute to high blood pressure. “I suspect that the Med lifestyle leads to improved placental vascular function, thereby possibly reducing the risk of preeclampsia.”

Other studies have found similar results. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in April 2022 had on-par findings regarding preeclampsia, and another study published in PLOS Medicine in 2019 found following the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy could reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.

“The main aspects of the Med diet that contributes to a healthier pregnancy are the high fiber and high antioxidant intake which is found in fresh fruits and vegetables and grains.”—Nidhi Mehta, MD

What are some ways to incorporate this type of diet into your lifestyle while pregnant?

Experts recommend consulting with your personal doctor or OB-GYN before you make any drastic dietary changes or restrictions during pregnancy, but variety is important. This includes consuming a wide range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Dr. Mehta recommends focusing on reducing sodium content and saturated fats and incorporating more fruits and vegetables whenever you can. And in line with the Mediterranean diet, The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends eating eight to 12 ounces of seafood each week that are low in mercury. Options include canned light tuna, catfish, cod, herring, oysters, salmon, shad, shrimp, tilapia, and trout.

They also recommend implementing a daily prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid, iron, calcium, and Vitamin D, bumping up your caloric intake with each trimester, and avoiding alcohol of any kind.

“The main aspects of the Med diet that contributes to a healthier pregnancy are the high fiber and high antioxidant intake which is found in fresh fruits and vegetables and grains,” said Dr. Mehta.

There’s a robust online marketplace of secondhand baby gear, and you’re likely to find whatever your growing baby might need through any one of the options available. According to Jean Moorjani, MD, a pediatrician at the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, purchasing used baby gear won’t just save you money, it’s also more environmentally friendly. “If we are able to get things secondhand, then that’s a good way to give a second life to something instead of throwing it away,” she says. Reducing waste is a sustainable win-win for both you and the planet.

How to shop safely for used baby gear online

For all the benefits that buying secondhand baby gear can afford parents, there are important things to keep in mind before making a purchase for your little one, with safety being the number one priority.

1. Look out for wear and tear and any safety hazards
“Anytime you buy anything secondhand, you want to make sure that everything looks like it’s in good shape,” says Dr. Moorjani. Avoid purchasing used baby items that have been damaged, developed mold, have missing or loose parts, sharp edges, or chipped or peeling paint—which can all pose a safety hazard. You’ll also want to inspect the product for anything that can cause a choking or strangulation hazard, looking out for cords or small parts that your baby could potentially ingest.

2. Ensure items come with an instruction manual
If you’re shopping for used baby items that require installation (think: high chairs, strollers, and playpens), you’ll also want to ensure that it comes with an instruction manual. “The instruction manual has the correct instructions on how to install [an item] properly and safely,” says Dr. Moorjani.

3. Check for product recalls
You’ll also want to check for product recalls—which is when an item has been found to have defects or safety issues. She says that you can typically find this information on reputable consumer websites, like the Consumer Product Safety Commission website, cpsc.gov, or recalls.gov.

4. Purchase from a website or app that offers returns
Another thing to keep in mind when shopping online for secondhand baby gear? “Look at the return policy” before committing to a purchase, says Dr. Moorjani, “because if something arrives and you’re concerned that the product isn’t safe, you want to make sure you can send it back for a refund.”

5. Keep your pediatrician in the loop
When in doubt, ask your pediatrician if you’re unsure about whether a product is safe to buy for your baby or not. “A pediatrician is a good source of information so don’t forget about them,” says Dr. Moorjani. “We’re available to answer any questions about your baby and provide advice.”

Baby gear to avoid buying secondhand

Clothing, shoes, toys, high chairs, strollers, and infant bathtubs can all be purchased secondhand for as long as they’re in good shape and pose no safety risk. However, there are certain items that you’ll always want to buy new, says Dr. Moorjani.

“Cribs are definitely a no-no,” she says. “Today, there’s more regulations when it comes to crib building and crib safety, so you don’t want an old crib.” Another thing that you should always buy new? Car seats. “Car seats technically expire after several years,” says Dr. Moorjani. “You don’t know the history of a car seat if you’re buying from a secondhand store. And if it was involved in a car crash, whether minor or major, then it shouldn’t be used at all.”

The best sites and apps to buy (or sell) used baby gear

With all this in mind, take a scroll through these secondhand baby sites and apps to find clothing, toys, gear, and more for your little one—or even consider selling items they’ve outgrown to parent who might need it.

1. Kidizen

Kidizen is a website and app for parents to buy or sell secondhand baby clothing, shoes, accessories, and toys. You can quickly navigate their selection by category, with one even dedicated to mothers. Kidizen vendors must adhere to a list of “house rules,” ensuring that the condition of items being sold are clearly communicated and all defects are clearly stated in the description. Otherwise, buyers can request for a full refund on the item they purchased.

Parents interested in joining Kidizen as sellers have the option to list products themselves or work with a Style Scout. Scouts provide a white-glove consignment service, which includes a consultation and at-home pickup services, making it ideal for busy parents. Kidizen deducts a 12 percent marketplace fee for every item sold through their platform and sellers are responsible for shipping costs.

2. GoodBuy Gear

GoodBuy Gear is an online marketplace where parents can find everything their child might need (with the exception of a wide range of secondhand baby clothing). Products on the site are inspected for safety and quality assurance so what you’re buying is almost, if not just as good as new. If you aren’t satisfied with an item, they also offer a 14-day return policy.

Looking to declutter your home of used baby items? Selling on GoodBuy Gear is made easy, too. Just schedule an at-home pickup or bring used baby items to one of their drop-off locations—they’ll take care of the rest, from snapping photos of items to cleaning them to listing them on the website. For every item sold, sellers can receive up to 85 percent of the sale value.

3. Kidsy

Kidsy is a website where there’s everything from secondhand baby clothing to shoes and accessories for sale. They also have a variety of toys, books, travel gear, and nursery items. Whatever you’re in the market for, you can expect to find items that are up to 90 percent off their original retail price. And if you receive an item that wasn’t in the condition it was described, Kidsy also offers returns within 48 hours of delivery.

On Kidsy, parents can also sell baby gear their children have outgrown. Sellers will be responsible for uploading items to the site, with photos and an accurate description. If a purchase is made, sellers will also have to ship the items to the buyer themselves. Kidsy will take a 5 percent commission for every item sold, regardless of its sale price.

4. Markid

Markid is a website and app that serves as a one-stop shop for parents looking to buy secondhand baby gear, clothing, and shoes. Buyers purchase directly from sellers, and to ensure that every product on the platform is in good condition, sellers are required to take clear photos and provide detailed information. In the event a product isn’t up to standard, buyers can request a refund within 48 hours of delivery.

If you want to sell used baby items, signing up on Markid is free. Once you receive a purchase on an item, you have the option of meeting up with a buyer if they live in your community or delivering it to their doorstep by mail. Just keep in mind that you’ll be responsible for the shipping costs, and Markid charges a 10 percent selling fee based on the listed price of an item.

5. Rebelstork

Rebelstork is a website for high-end baby gear, with the mission to make “parenting lighter” on the environment. They sell overstock, open-box, and resold items, and each item is vetted for safety by Rebelstork employees before it is made available on their site. Any items that are inauthentic, have incorrect or missing parts, or don’t match their description can be returned for a full refund within 24 hours of the item’s delivery.

Rebelstork also takes items from parents looking to sell old baby gear. They have at-home pickup services for sellers, as well as convenient drop-off locations. Currently, they only service from the Greater Toronto and the Metro New York area, but they are looking to expand in the future. Sellers can receive up to 80 percent of the sale price, depending on the item’s value.

6. Stork Exchange

Stork Exchange is a website where parents can find secondhand baby gear, like carriers, diaper bags, swaddles, and a variety of baby toys. Every item on the website is subjected to inspection and a thorough cleaning prior to being listed on the site. They also have a 14-day window for returns if a product is received broken, defective, or just doesn’t meet the buyer’s expectations.

Currently, Stork Exchange isn’t accepting used baby items from people interested in selling on their site, but you can follow them on their social media channels or sign up for their weekly newsletter for updates.

7. Toycycle

Toycycle is a website that offers secondhand baby clothing, toys, and big-ticket items, like high chairs and strollers. Each item listed on their website undergoes a rigorous vetting process and is inspecting for cleanliness and safety, so parents can shop with peace of mind. If a purchase proves to be defective or doesn’t match the description, they offer full refunds, too.

Those who want to sell their child’s old items can also list them on Toycycle. You can schedule curbside pickup in San Francisco, but if you don’t live in the Bay Area, you can use their Cleanout Box option, which lets you ship items from anywhere in the continental U.S., or the Stuff & Send Bag, which is available nationwide. Toycycle will take a percentage of sales made, which varies according to the value of the item sold.

You see, tampon applicators aren’t recyclable after use. As for pads, most are 90-percent plastic, meaning that they can take 500–800 years to decompose. What’s more, all conventional period products contribute to our microplastic problem by contaminating water systems. Finally, one year’s worth of feminine hygiene products (and all of the materials that comprise them) translates to a carbon footprint of 5.3 kg, or nearly 12 pounds of CO2 emissions.

“Single-use disposable period products aren’t only wasteful, they’re unsustainable, unsafe, and unaffordable for many,” says Helen Lynn, environmenstrual campaign manager at the Women’s Environmental Network. If it sounds like a toxic relationship, that’s because it is.

How to kick your tampon habit

The ecological damage that tampons and pads cause is clear, but they pose risks to our health, too—a fact that may make it easier for many to part ways with the products.

“Cosmetics are better regulated than period products,” Lynn says. “This is a huge concern given the number of toxic chemicals that have been found in period products all over the world, most recently in India. Toxic chemicals have no place in products intended for use in or near such an absorbent part of the body, i.e. the vagina and vulva.”

Phthalates, bisphenols, and parabens are among the chemicals commonly found in period products, those linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, asthma, allergies, and more—and that’s not even taking the synthetic fragrances (which can contain up to 3,000 chemicals) into account.

In short, period products cause both personal and environmental harm. So, are you ready to break the cycle and break up with your tampons for good? These alternatives will help ease the transition and improve your relationship with the planet in the process.

5 sustainable pad and tampon alternatives

1. Menstrual cups

One way to combat the waste problem associated with period products is to opt for something reusable—like the menstrual cup. Crafted from silicone, these cups are designed to be inserted into the vagina to sit and collect menstrual blood. Once full, the cups can be emptied, washed, and reused for anywhere from one to three years (though some claim to last much longer), saving the planet (and your wallet) from waste.

As for emissions, exchanging your tampons for a menstrual cup can lessen your carbon footprint, saving .007 tons of CO2 (or 17 miles in a standard gasoline-powered car) from entering the atmosphere.

2. Period underwear

Modern period underwear is sleek, hyper-absorbent, and downright convenient. Once purchased, these helpful undies can be worn and washed like any other pair; though, Lynn notes that some period underwear may contain PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because they can say in your body for long periods of time and disrupt your endocrine system among other negative side effects, so keep an eye on materials and makeup.

3. Reusable pads

A single disposable pad and the packaging that accompanies it can contain as much plastic as five plastic bags! Reusable cloth pads help to mitigate this waste.

Made from sustainable fabrics like bamboo and organic cotton, the simple solution can work to absorb the same amount of blood as two to four tampons and last for up to five years. Once you wrap your head around the concept, you can even try your hand at a DIY version.

4. Plastic-free or reusable applicators

This is not a wholesale solution, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. If you don’t see yourself eschewing tampons entirely, and you can’t imagine insertion sans an applicator, start by going plastic-free or reusable. That said, a finger alone really works.

5. Biodegradable pads and tampons

If you cannot fathom the thought of ditching your go-to period product, work toward a healthier future by purchasing biodegradable pads and tampons. Brands like Natracare and Saathi craft offerings from plant materials and organic cotton, ditching all synthetics so that the products can decompose in your home compost pile or bin, all while saving the world on plastic waste.

Keep in mind that cutting up pads and tampons will help them break down more quickly in your healthy compost. Even with the extra aid, the process can take up to two years. But hey! That’s literally hundreds less than a traditional period product.

The type of footwear you wear both outside and inside your home can help you adapt to these changes, and the easiest (and most comfortable) place to start is slippers for pregnancy (but if you’re also looking for the best shoes for pregnancy, we’ve got a great roundup of expert-vetted products as well—that’ll include sneakers and flats for outside).

The best slippers for pregnancy, at a glance:

• Best overall: Birkenstock Zermatt Shearling Slipper, $100
• Best for swelling: Vionic Relax Slippers, $70
• Best for outdoors: Dansko Lucie Wool Slipper, $79
• Most breathable: Oofos Ooahh Slide Sandal, $60
• Best eco-friendly: Kyrgies Molded Sole, $99
• Most adjustable: Vionic Dream Slipper, $40

“Slippers can certainly be of help as they work to mitigate some of the changes associated with pregnancy,” Dr. Rimawi says. Before you go strolling, here’s a few things he wants you to consider. Since the arches collapse, it “can lead to imbalances and alter the distribution of pressure along the foot, which can lead to pain and injury,” he says. To counter these effects, look for slippers with arch support. Feet also tend to balloon during pregnancy, so you want to keep your eye peeled for adjustable or wide-width shoes for any swelling.

The best slippers for pregnancy

No matter how far along you are, you should feel comfortable in your own footsteps. Thus, we tapped a podiatrist for their input and recommendations on the best slippers for pregnancy. Keep scrolling to shop these podiatrist-approved shoes that are supportive and comfy as a cloud.

Best overall

Birkenstock, Zermatt Shearling Slipper — $100.00

Sizes available: 4-12.5, in half sizes and two different widths

Birkenstocks may be well known for its arch-supportive sandals, but I’m here to inform you that the brand makes great slippers, too. What makes these slippers ideal for pregnancy is the extra wide width, which can come in handy whenever you experience swelling. Recommended by Dr. Rimawi, the Zermatt slippers have an ergonomic footbed to give a helping hand to your arches and cloud-like shearling to keep your toes toasty when cooler temperatures strike. It’s like walking on a cloud.

Colors: 6

Pros 

• Ergonomic footbed
• Lined with shearling
• Available in wide widths

Cons 

• Expensive

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Best for swelling

Vionic, Relax Slippers — $70.00

Sizes available: 5-12

Your feet can finally take a breather with Vionic’s Relax Slippers. Dr. Rimawi approves of these kicks because “they come with an orthotic footbed, an adjustable strap to accommodate different sizing, and are odor resistant.” The Terrycloth footbed provides ultimate comfort and softness, and did we mention… they’re Oprah-approved?

Colors: 7

Pros 

• Terrycloth footbed
• Adjustable strap
• Absorbs shock

Cons 

• Not ideal for outdoor use

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Best for outdoors

Dansko, Lucie Wool Slipper — $79.00

Sizes available: 5-12, in half sizes

If you’re an outdoor slipper person, might we recommend Dansko Lucie Wool Slipper? The thick, vinyl sole makes this pair ideal for trekking, no matter if you’re hitting the pavement or hardwood flooring. Also great? The slipper features “Scotchgard protection to minimize stains, a comfortable sole, and built-in arch technology” for days when your arches go low,” explains Dr. Rimawi.

Colors: 7

 

Pros 

• Has thick sole for outdoor use
• Stain-resistant
• Lightweight

Cons 

• Not adjustable

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Most breathable

Oofos, Ooahh Slide Sandal — $60.00

Sizes available: 5-16

Oofos Slide Sandal will have your feet saying “Ooahh.” That’s because the foam footbed absorbs shock (the brands claims 37 percent more shock absorption than traditional footwear) and cradles your arches, so you can prevent a collapsed tower. Since the foam is closed-cell designed, the shoe repels water and sweat instantaneously (no more odors). Plus, it boasts an open-toe design, so you can get the most breeze between for your toesies and wear these as summer slippers, too. As Dr. Rimawi says, “they’re made for relaxing.”

Colors: 8

Pros 

• Absorbs shock
• Easy to clean
• Odor-resistant
• Breathable

Cons 

• May be difficult to put on for some
• Strap may be too tight for people with bunions

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Best eco-friendly

Kyrgies, Kyrgies Molded Sole — $99.00

Sizes available: 5-14, in half sizes

For an environmentally-friendly step, Kyrgies are handcrafted by local artisans in Kyrgyzstan. Beyond the comfort that they offer, the fibers and fabrics are sustainably woven into each shoe. Each pair offers arch support and a no-slip grip thanks to the veggie-tanned leather sole. Plus, enjoy “an additional layer of cushioning—which makes them very comfortable,” says Dr. Rimawi. This pair is giving foot-fives to you and the environment.

Colors: 4

Pros 

• Has arch support
• Sustainably made
• Comfortable

Cons

• Expensive

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Most adjustable

Vionic, Dream Slipper — $40.00

Originally $70, now $40

With all the changes that are occurring during pregnancy, you’re going to need an adjustable pair and Vionic  Dream Slipper is a Dr. Rimawi recommendation. Featuring adjustable straps and a washable terry cloth surrounding the shoe, this slipper is comfy as it is stylish. The EVA midsole absorbs shock and the terry material reduces odors, so you can stroll minus the funky smells and pain.

Sizes available: 5-10, in half sizes

Colors: 3

Pros

• Odor-resistant
• Absorbs shock
• Adjustable

Cons 

• Arch area may be too high for some

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One problem? ACOG reports that women may be reluctant to share their symptoms with a healthcare provider—even if they are screening for postpartum depression. Another issue is women may be likely to attribute their symptoms, such as problems sleeping, changes in appetite, or decreased libido as changes that are normal after having a baby.

Identifying all of those factors seems to rest in the hands of obstetric healthcare providers. After all, they care for pregnant moms during and after their pregnancy, so it’s easy to put the responsibility for detecting and treating these disorders solely with this specialty. But a maternal mental health expert says it’s important to take a pause and re-frame this line of thinking.

“There tends to be a narrative where the underlying emphasis of ‘why aren’t the obstetricians picking this up?’” says Catherine Monk, PhD, Diana Vagelos professor of women’s mental health in the department of psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “It’s not really understanding the tremendous pressure on the obstetricians—they have not just one, but two patients.”

With that said, there are strides being made the help providers identify mood disorders in postpartum people, and get them the help they need. Here’s what we know.

“Just as someone who is trained in mental health doesn’t know how to deliver a baby, someone who is trained in obstetrics may not be able to recognize the disorders.”—Catherine Monk, PhD, Diana Vagelos professor of women’s mental health at Columbia University

What are the current standards for identifying post-partum mood disorders?

ACOG recommends that all obstetric care providers ask patients to complete a full assessment of mood and emotional well-being during a comprehensive postpartum visit. This screening helps to identify both postpartum depression and anxiety.

ACOG also recommends obstetricians provide close monitoring for patients with a history of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or a history of perinatal mood disorders. If a provider recognizes the patient is having anxious, depressive, or suicidal thoughts, they should be prepared to refer the patient to a mental health provider or start medical treatments.

It’s important to remember these are standards—obstetricians aren’t required to perform these screenings, but they do want to care for their patients and many do offer screenings. Though, Dr. Monk says it’s important to note that healthcare providers have specialties because significant training is required. “Just as someone who is trained in mental health doesn’t know how to deliver a baby, someone who is trained in obstetrics may not be able to recognize the disorders,” Dr. Monk says.

Another challenge, Dr. Monk says, is if a new mom answers screening questions that indicate she could be experiencing a postpartum mental health disorder, the obstetrician may not know where to refer the patient. So, sometimes when postpartum mood disorders are “missed” it’s really more about a lack of resources.

What kind of change is occurring to help with these issues?

The good news is there is a greater shift in attention to the issue of maternal mental health, says Dr. Monk. One new trend she says she’s seeing is mental health professionals working in obstetrics practices. This effort ideally provides a referral source and access to a mental health professional more quickly. She also points to the increasing availability of telehealth for mental health needs, which allows new moms to find mental health providers in areas they may not physically practice.

A few other promising changes in this space include:

•  In 2022, the Health Resources & Services Administration launched a National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, where you can call or text 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS) from the Health Resources & Services Administration. The hotline offers 24/7 access to professional counselors who can provide referrals to local mental health professionals and support groups.
• In June 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a mental health package that included the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act that would create a national strategy to help address maternal health and provide more support for new moms.
• Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs exist in states such as Florida, Wisconsin, and Washington that provide training and support to healthcare providers to help them better counsel and coordinate care for pregnant and postpartum people.

“What I really think is that we could and should be moving in the direction of support for people who are transitioning into parenthood,” Dr. Monk explains. “We identify people at risk earlier, and we are providing more support for knowledge about what is essential to you for maintaining your stability.”

How to find help for a postpartum mood disorder

When you’re a new mom, it can be understandably hard to want to seek help for a postpartum mental health disorder. However, if you recognize that certain feelings and emotions aren’t a normal part of the postpartum process, you can talk to your doctor about ways to get help. They may be able to refer you to a mental health professional or provide information on telehealth services and other resources (like the numbers listed above). No matter how you’re feeling, you’re not alone, and help is available.

“My current baby definitely has much more eczema than my other two kids did. They had dry skin but he has visible red patches so we’re doing it all,” says Dr. Garshick, who practices in New York City. “Even though a baby may not be able to express themselves as much, if they are itchy it can impact sleep, it can impact their overall mood.” So getting on top of your baby’s eczema is key.

When managing eczema in babies, it’s important to know that it can show up in different ways than in adults. “As adults, we tend to see it more in the corners of the arms in front of the elbow, and behind the knees,” she says. “Whereas in babies, it can be more widespread—sometimes you can see it in general on the trunk or on the legs, and sometimes it can involve even the scalp or the face.”

Here’s how to soothe and treat eczema in babies

1. Limit bath time and keep it short

“A lot of people like having baths as part of a baby’s bedtime routine, but bathing may not actually be necessary every day,” says Dr. Garshick. “So especially if you’re potentially prone to eczema, if there’s a family history of eczema, or if you’re noticing dryness on your baby’s skin, reserve bath time for only two or three times a week instead of every day. And make sure to keep the bath time short.”

2. Use a gentle cleanser but only where it’s needed

“Babies don’t necessarily need to be washed with soap all over,” says Dr. Garshick. That’s because their skin is more sensitive and prone to dryness, and because soap can be drying, in some cases it can exacerbate eczema. “So we always say to limit your cleanser to just the dirty areas, like the underarms, the genital area, the face, the feet, or—of course—[anywhere] they’re visibly dirty.”

And make sure the soap you are using is gentle. “You want to make sure that the cleanser you’re using is not going to be stripping, and that it’s not going to have a ton of fragrance in it so that it minimizes any potential irritation or sensitivity,” says Dr. Garshick. Her favorites are Baby Dove Hypoallergenic Wash ($10), CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo ($16), and Vanicream Gentle Wash for Baby ($9).

Baby Dove Hypoallergenic Wash — $10.00

This soothing wash is great for the body and hair. It was tested by ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and pediatricians, so you know it’ll be gentle on their skin and okay if it gets in their eyes. Plus, it’s free of dyes, parabens, sulfates, or phthalates to limit potential irritation. It’s made of nutrients that are identical to those naturally found in skin, and includes prebiotics to support a baby’s skin health.

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CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo — $16.00

This two-in-one body wash and shampoo has the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance, meaning it’s free of potential irritants and eczema triggers. It was developed with pediatric dermatologists and is free of fragrance, parabens, dyes, phthalates, and sulfates. Plus, it’s formulated with three essential ceramides to reinforce babies’ skin barrier, hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture, and vitamin E to soften and soothe skin.

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Vanicream Gentle Wash for Baby — $9.00

This gluten-free, sulfate-free, and soap-free cleanser is gentle and great for babies and children of all ages. It’s also free of irritants like dyes, fragrances, masking fragrances, lanolin, parabens, and formaldehyde releases. It was also tested by dermatologists to ensure it’s safe for sensitivity-prone skin.

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3. Pat dry and immediately apply moisturizer

Once your baby is out of the bath, pat their skin dry. “Don’t feel the need to vigorously rub dry,” says Dr. Garshick. “Don’t feel the need to like vigorously rub dry,” says Dr. Garshick. Then, apply a thick layer of moisturizing cream or ointment.

“Usually, babies don’t mind having a layer of Vaseline or Aquaphor or something that’s a little bit thicker [on their skin], especially if it has dry patches,” she says. “There were some studies that showed applying Vaseline to babies’ skin within the first several months of life could actually potentially prevent the development of eczema in high-risk babies, acknowledging this idea that just by applying something to the skin barrier helps of support it and strengthen it.”

She says to reach for Vaseline Original Healing Jelly ($3), Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($7), CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($18), or Cetaphil Baby Soothe & Protect Cream ($10).

Vaseline Original Healing Jelly — $3.00

Made from 100 percent white petrolatum, Vaseline provides a layer of protection to defend against external irritants while also sealing moisture into the skin.  Consider it a must-have for dealing with eczema.

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Aquaphor Healing Ointment — $7.00

Aquaphor consists of 41 percent petrolatum and a blend of mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin, and bisabolol to temporarily protects minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. Plus, it temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin and lips and protects from the drying effects of wind and cold weather.

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CeraVe Moisturizing Cream — $18.00

This derm-developed heavy-duty cream protects the skin’s moisture barrier and is non-comedogenic, non-greasy, and fast-absorbing. Plus, it’s fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and oil-free. It’s made with hyaluronic acid to retain the skin’s natural moisture, three essential ceramides that help restore the skin barrier, and has a patented delivery system to continually release moisturizing ingredients for 24-hour hydration.

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Cetaphil Baby Soothe & Protect Cream — $10.00

Thanks to allatonin, a derm-beloved skin protectant, this fast-absorbing gel cream helps rescue, prevent, and relieve dry, cracked skin. It’s also formulated with organic calendula and a unique blend of soothing moisturizers to provide relief for babies’ dry, delicate skin.

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4. Protect the face and neck

Babies are messy eaters and they tend to drool. Both of these things are adorable, but they aren’t exactly great for eczema-prone skin. “A lot of that can cause irritation, especially on the cheeks or in the folds of the neck,” says Dr. Garshick. “Be sure to use moisturizing creams and ointments in those areas to lock moisture in but also protect from external irritants getting in.”

She always applies a layer of Vaseline to her baby’s cheeks and neck before meals. “When we eat, it’s a big mess, so putting a layer of ointment on protects the skin from getting the buildup of all the food, which has definitely been helpful.”

5. Keep fabrics soft and detergents gentle

When it comes to your baby’s clothes and blankets, be sure to stick with soft and breathable fabrics, like cotton, that won’t be harsh on their skin. And when you launder their clothes, use detergents that are free of dyes and fragrances like Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Detergent ($13 to $19) and Arm & Hammer Sensitive Liquid Laundry Detergent ($10 to $14).

Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Detergent — $13.00 to $19.00

This hypoallergenic liquid laundry detergent was developed with sensitive skin in mind and is free of dyes, fragrances, and artificial brighteners. It’s designed to work in both HE and standard machines, it is powerful in all washing temperatures, and it is septic-safe.

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Arm & Hammer Sensitive Liquid Laundry Detergent — $10.00 to $14.00

This hypoallergenic, perfume-free, fragrance-free, and dye-free liquid laundry detergent has been reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals, evaluated by dermatologists, and passed four different clinical tests.

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6. Keep a humidifier in the nursery

“If you’re noticing that your baby is experiencing dry skin, a humidifier can sometimes be helpful in your baby’s room for sleeping time,” says Dr. Garshick. Just be sure to regularly clean the humidifier so it’s free of mold and other buildups. The Canopy Humidifier ($150) is a great option.

Canopy Humidifier — $150.00

This humidifier is dishwasher safe (and thus easy to clean), has LED lights to kill bacteria, and provides mist-free humidity that doesn’t make the area around the humidifier wet.

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7. Consult a dermatologist to learn about your options

“If you do notice any red flaky patches, it is worth checking in with a dermatologist, because sometimes there are prescriptions that can be helpful and that are safe and approved for babies as young as two months or even younger if necessary,” she says. “There are lots of different options, including both topical steroids and non-steroidal treatments.”

For example, she uses a topical steroid and cortisone cream on her baby. “At some point, the inflammation gets to a point where it’s so red and angry-looking that a moisturizer alone may not be enough,” she says. “When it’s your child, you obviously want to make sure you’re making the right decision, [which means] taking into account the potential risk of using medications versus the potential risk of not using medications and just letting the spot potentially brew.  Especially as kids get older, when they have a very itchy area and are scratching a lot, it can potentially trigger an infection in the area. In terms of treating skin in children, I do think it’s important to remember the value added of treatment.”

8. Know that it will likely get better with age

“The percentage of people with eczema is greater in childhood and then it pairs down,” says Dr. Garshick. “It can appear within those first six months, but as individuals get older, it oftentimes can go away. One study showed that 80 percent of childhood atopic dermatitis went away after eight years, and less than five percent persisted at 20 years after diagnosis.” So do the best that you can to care for your baby’s eczema now and know that what you do now (remember those Vaseline studies?) can impact how their eczema progresses throughout their lives.

Want even more beauty intel from our editors? Follow our Fineprint Instagram account for must-know tips and tricks.

But postnatal physical therapists now say that might be too soon to return to something high impact like running.

”A lot of women see their healthcare provider, have that six-week check and are told they are fine and can go back to running, and then they’re either getting injured or they’ll pick up injury later in life as a result,” says women’s health physical therapist Emma Brockwell, co-author of Returning to Running Postnatal Guidelines. “I don’t think there’s any consideration for allowing them to rehab their bodies back to impact over a longer period of time.”

Because running puts three to four times your bodyweight through your system with every step, pounding the pavement again too soon can lead to musculoskeletal pain, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse. Although six weeks used to be the standard waiting period, experts now advise only introducing runs gradually once you’ve passed a series of checks—which usually doesn’t happen until three to six months after delivery.

“Your body has changed dramatically. Lots of muscles have become weak, and like any other major life-changing injury, the body needs time to get back to a place where it’s ready to take that impact,” says Brockwell.

Make sure you can pass these five checks before you hit the road.

1. Do you have any of these symptoms?

Although it’s best to see a pelvic floor specialist, women can screen themselves by checking for these symptoms:

• Urinary or fecal incontinence
• Urinary or fecal urgency that is difficult to defer
• Heaviness or a bulging feeling in the pelvic area
• Lower back or pelvic pain
• Decreased abdominal strength and function

If you’re experiencing any of these—or just general discomfort—then your body still needs more time to heal.

2. Is your body ready for impact?

Before launching back into running, it’s best to test your body with less impactful exercise. Can you do each of these without pain, heaviness, dragging, or incontinence?

• Walking for 30 minutes
• A single leg balance for 10 seconds
• Jogging in place for one minute
• Hopping in place
• Forward bounds

Assess whether you feel comfortable walking, swimming, or cycling to gauge your strengths and weaknesses. “Do some low-impact exercise for a good few weeks and regain some of your strength,” suggests Brockwell.

3. Are your key muscle groups strong enough?

Brockwell recommends starting a strength program from week one postpartum but keeping it super light in the beginning. This could be gentle Pilates and bodyweight-only exercises like squats and lunges. Weights can be added in gradually around three to six weeks. (But if lifting weights is painful at all, then hold off a little longer.)

“It’s about constantly checking in and listening to your body to ensure that it’s tiring, but not hurting, as you’re doing these exercises,” says Brockwell.

In order to ensure key muscle groups are prepared for running, you should be able to do 20 reps each of these exercises:

• Single-leg calf raise
• Single-leg bridge
• Single-leg sit to stand
• Side-lying leg raises

Also crucial? Pelvic floor exercises.

“’Initially, it’s just about ‘little and often’ whether you’re lying on your side or sitting down and feeding baby. Over time, it is about trying to do the pelvic floor exercises in an upright standing position, which is more relevant to running. The ideal would be to make sure that you’re able to do a 10-second hold, for 10 reps while standing,” says Brockwell.

4. Are you rested enough?

Rest and sleep are imperative to recovery—yet a baby can lead to months of sleepless nights. “Women need to ask themselves whether they are having enough rest to meet the demands of running. Also fueling well and hydrating well,” says Brockwell.

Are you constantly dragging and feel like you need caffeine to function? Then your body won’t be able to handle the physical stress of running. Sleep deprivation in athletes is associated with increased injury risk, lower general health, and increased stress. Sleep loss can also reduce muscle repair following exercise.

5. Do you have the right gear?

While you might spend a lot of time worrying about what your baby will wear every day, don’t forget about yourself. If possible, get a personally-fitted sports bra that offers support rather than compression to increase comfort. A growing range of maternal activewear brands like Sweat & Milk sell supportive leggings and nursing tops.

Feet can grow during pregnancy, so your older shoes may no longer fit correctly. Get advice on supportive footwear from a running shop.

“It’s these little things that can make such a difference to your integration back into running and make it so much more comfortable,” says Brockwell.

And if you are considering running with a stroller, then use a purpose-made one with a five-point harness for the baby, a fixed front wheel, hand-operated brakes, rear wheel suspension, pneumatic tires, three wheels, and a wrist strap. BOB and Thule are both commonly recommended brands. (Though note that running with a stroller isn’t recommended until baby is between six and nine months old to protect their neck and spine.)

Your next steps

Even if you pass all these tests, you still need to take a gut check. “Even for women who haven’t got symptoms, childbirth will still have been quite stressful to the body. So it’s a case of [asking yourself], Have I gained enough strength to return back to running?” says Brockwell.

Once you do feel ready, begin with a progressive walk-to-run program: Start with brisk walking with intervals of one or two minutes of running at an easy pace. Gradually build up the amount of running you’re doing with longer and longer intervals as your body feels ready.

Continue to pay attention to how you feel, and pull back or stop running altogether if you experience heaviness, dragging, incontinence, or moderate to severe pain. Mild musculoskeletal pain (no more than a three out of 10 on the pain scale) which settles quickly after a run is okay.

And to make sure you’re getting enough rest to recover properly, boost your sleep quota by fitting in naps around your baby’s sleep schedule. And be sure to rehydrate properly (especially if you’re breastfeeding).

Running can be a great mental health tool for new parents, but waiting until your body is ready will make sure it doesn’t backfire.